By Barbara @ Follow Your Own Rhythm
I got real with my dreams about 3 years ago. I got clear on what kind of life I want to live, what I want to do, and who I want to be. And then, I mapped out a plan of how I will get there, and I got busy.
Since then, I've made some significant life changes...I quit a few jobs, left familiarity behind and moved to the mountains, changed careers, started pursuing my passion, launched my own business, changed my diet, changed my thinking, and quit some bad habits.
While I still have some work to do, I sort of feel like I'm living my dreams already because I'm on the right path, I'm aligned to my truth, and my life has meaning and purpose.
With that said, what I want YOU to know is that no matter what your dreams are, they CAN and they WILL come true!!! You just have to believe in yourself and follow through!
So to help make it easier for you to create YOUR dream life, I compiled my top 10 tips (ones I personally use) to help you pursue and stay committed to your dreams.
I also made these 10 tips into a free printable sheet so you can be reminded to stay on track!
You can download it below!
10 Tips for Pursuing and Staying Committed to Your Dreams
1. Know what you want and why you want it.
You can’t commit to something if you don’t know what it is you’re committing to. So you have to get clear on what your dreams are, and most importantly, why you want to achieve them. Why are these dreams important to you? What will they do for you, how will they improve your life, and how will they make you feel? Make sure your “why” is really strong. And then always go back to this why and what this dream will do for you when things get tough or when you feel like giving up.
2. Design a plan to get there.
Once you have a general idea of your dream life, you have to create a plan of how you will get there. How will you make your dreams come true? What will you have to do? What specific steps will you have to take? Write it down and make a commitment to following through.
There is a whole section on creating your dream life in my workbook “Unlock Your Inner Rebel – A Guide to Limitless Living.”
3. Always make time for your dreams in your everyday life.
If you put your dreams on the back burner because your life is too busy or hectic, then that is where they will stay. Instead, take small steps every week to get closer to your dreams. These steps can be directly or indirectly related to your dreams such as cutting out a bad habit, reading a book, signing up for a class, seeking advice from a friend or coach, quitting your job, or literally going over your dreams every week to keep them alive in your heart and mind. Whatever it is, stay PROACTIVE. What I have learned is that when I take action every week towards my dreams, I feel a lot better about my life overall because I know I am actively designing my future, and my life feels like it has direction and purpose (which motivates me to stay on track).
4. Accept that you will have challenges, breakdowns, stagnant phases, people discouraging you, things won’t go exactly how you want, and at times, you will feel like giving up, make mistakes, and fail at a few things.
This is totally normal and part of the process. Just accept it for what it is. If you can survive and break through this “hard” phase though, it will only get better, easier, and more rewarding down the line. Don’t let this phase get the best of you. Stay positive and stay focused on your dream even if it doesn’t seem like you’ll be able to accomplish it. The more seriously you take yourself and your dreams, the more you will prove to yourself (and others) that you actually CAN do this, and the more momentum you will build. You will also become more and
more confident the more changes you make and the closer you get to your dreams, which will make it easier to break through the hard times.
5. Believe in yourself and in your dreams, NO MATTER what other people say or think or what society is doing.
You know why you’re doing what you’re doing. It feels right in your heart and is true to who you are. So don’t let other people get you down. It’s not THEIR dream, it’s YOURS. Also, don’t let what society is doing or expecting from you get in the way of what your heart desires. Believe in yourself, trust your intuition, and have faith in your ability to create this life. You will face some of your fears, but that’s part of the process. Don’t let limiting beliefs deter you.
6. Don’t overthink or obsess over all that you will have to do, and all of the scary things that you will have to face, because then, you will never get started.
For example, if your dream is to move to Nicaragua, but in the beginning of pursuing this dream you start obsessing over how you will survive without speaking Spanish, how your family and friends will react when you tell them the news, where you will buy all of your food, how you will survive in a country you know nothing about, etcetera, etcetera, then you will become paralyzed and NOT make the move.
All you have to do is know your dream (move to Nicaragua), identify what steps you need to take to get there (save money, find a place to live, sell your stuff, renew passport, etc.) and then focus on the next few steps that you can take. When the time comes to face those bigger challenges, you will no longer have the same mindset you have now. With each step that you take, you will become more and more experienced, knowledgeable, and confident, with a more elevated perspective, and will be READY and ABLE to tackle whatever comes your way, WHEN it comes your way.
7. Share your dreams with those who love and support you.
Your dreams are sacred to you and so you don’t necessarily want to be sharing them with people who will bash, belittle or devalue them. Most people believe that earning money through working long, hard hours is the noble and normal path to take in life, even if it leads to stress and unhappiness. So when they hear someone saying “I have a dream of traveling the world and becoming a travel blogger,” they tend to respond in negative ways, not believing that that’s possible, realistic, or of value.
Even if your dreams aren’t so wild, negative people will always have something negative to say. And that’s ok, because everyone is entitled to their own opinion, you just don’t necessarily need to be around those people or share your visions with them. Instead, share your dreams with other dreamers, visionaries, and creatives, or with people who love and believe in you, so that you can get the encouragement and motivation that you need. It’s important to keep your dreams alive, so sharing them often with these people can be super beneficial to your success.
8. Be willing to do the actual work it takes to pursue your dreams.
If your dreams involve a career in engineering but you need a degree first, be willing to go back to school and take classes. Be ready to invest your time, energy (and even money) into making your dreams come true. That’s not always easy, but it’s ALWAYS worth it. Just think of the payoff.
WANT TO GET CLEAR ON YOUR GOALS FOR 2018?
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9. Celebrate EVERY SINGLE step, big or small, and don’t catch the “comparison virus”
Don’t just celebrate what we’re taught to celebrate or deem worthy in this society. Celebrate the small, subtle, and seemingly insignificant steps because they are a BIG DEAL to YOU…even if it’s not a big deal in the eyes of the world.
Also, don’t compare your progress to other people. Focus on yourself and on YOUR journey, and compare yourself to YOURSELF and how far you have come. Always remember where you came from and where it all started, and ALWAYS acknowledge, appreciate and celebrate your progress and growth in whatever way feels right to you.
10. Pay attention to how the universe, God, or higher power is communicating with you and sending you signs that you are ON THE RIGHT PATH!
This is so encouraging! When you pursue your dreams, you are following your heart. When you follow your heart, you are not only aligned with your own truth, but the higher truth as well. It’s all connected. So when you begin to walk this path, you will notice that life starts to make more sense, things work out, opportunities come your way, certain people come into your life, synchronicities happen all around you, you get the support that you need, and so on and so forth.
When you start seeing these signs, you will know that you’re on the right path and you will be so much more motivated to keep going. Just make sure to be open, alert and present as much as you can so you can actually see and read the signs.
And if you ever need support on your journey, I’m always here to cheer you on!
I hope these tips inspired you to go for your dreams, whatever they are, and to make a commitment to yourself to live a happy and fulfilling life!
Please SHARE this article so others can benefit too!
What are YOUR dreams and one thing you will do towards them? Share it in the comments below!
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