We all have hopes and dreams, some more realistic than others — but if we hope and dream big, we can achieve big. You are just as capable of reaching your hopes and dreams as the next person. We just need to keep them alive every day. When we give up on them, what have we got left to look forward to in life, or get excited about any more?
Hopes and dreams are what keep us focused and fighting for a better life, whatever the hope or dream happens to be — the principles are the same. We just need to know how to keep that fire alight inside us, and not let it burn out when we fail or take a knock. So here are a few thoughts, a gentle reminder on how we achieve that, day after day.
Think positive, act positive
This is the key to so many success stories out there. If you train your own mind to act positively, your actions will always follow. Some of the best stories come from the worst backgrounds — raised with poverty, heartache and dysfunction. Why do they succeed? Because they kept a positive attitude and never gave up on their hopes and dreams.
Wake up every morning, sit up, take a breath, smile to yourself, and say "let's get this done." Encourage yourself with a little pep talk before you even get out of bed. If that's the first thing you think and say to yourself each day, that's what sticks in your mind and kick-starts a positive outlook — and, over time, thoughts become actions, and actions let us achieve our hopes and dreams.
Don't let others limit your beliefs
Surround yourself with positive energy. A young child, when they first wake, is happy and full of life — they don't wake up and think badly first thing in the morning. It's the same with adults: people are negative because they choose to be, and some don't want to change that, or get help and guidance, and that's okay, because that's their life, not yours. These people don't like to see others happy and full of life, and they'll try to project their negativity onto you. Don't allow it.
Remember, we're in charge of our own thoughts, feelings and actions, and we have the ability to distance ourselves from theirs. How many times have you woken up positive and happy, and before you know it, someone has put you in a downer and taken your happiness from you? We control our own actions, and we're choosing to be happy and achieve our hopes and dreams — and we have to be in a good place, with a positive outlook, for that to even stand a chance.
If at first you don't succeed, change your method
Some people say "try, try again" — but motivation and effort alone aren't enough. Instead of repeating the method that failed time and time again, try this: if at first you don't succeed, change your method and try again. The likelihood is that if it didn't work the first time, and you gave it your all, it won't work a second time either. Take a few minutes, look at what you're trying to achieve, look at what went wrong, and see if you can do it differently. We can change and achieve so much just by switching methods and approaches.
The "bull in a china shop" approach might work for simple physical tasks, but anything involving real, cognitive thought needs a different approach — and somewhere along the way, you'll find what works.
Plan it out
Spur-of-the-moment decisions might work for some things, but for long-term, realistic hopes and dreams, we need to look at how we're actually going to achieve them. Don't just say you want to improve your lifestyle and let fate do the rest. Plan it out — look at the areas that aren't working, think about how you can change and improve them, and set yourself a plan, working from top to bottom.
It's also important to believe in yourself. Go into it half-hearted, and expect half-hearted results. Go at it with everything you have, and keep going even when you don't want to, and you'll achieve it. Perseverance is key when planning — no one ever succeeds first time around, and everyone fails or drops the ball at some point. We just get back up, stick to the plan, and go again, changing where we need to.
Believe and commit
Don't doubt your own ability, and don't let others doubt it either. Eliminate self-doubt before you start out on your chosen path or dream, so you have a positive mindset from start to finish. If people around you snigger or don't believe in you, that's okay too — limit your interaction with them on the subject, and don't let them hinder you or your progress.
Remember, these are your hopes and dreams, no one else's, so keep focused and keep on track. You'll accomplish amazing things once you get focused — and remember, we're talking about accomplishing your own dreams here, so that's worth taking seriously. I'm constantly challenging myself, and having fun doing it. Why don't we do it together?
