This is a guest post by Courtney Gordner, blogger/journalist of www.talkviral.com. Sharing what’s important in this viral world.
How to Stay Focused on Your Hopes and Dreams
It’s in there somewhere, whether it’s deep beneath the surface or on your mind all the time, you have a hope or a dream that drives you, something that pushes you toward finding fulfillment in what life has to offer.
For some people, these dreams are motivators that are at the core of every one of their decisions, to others, dreams are considered farfetched, wishful thinking that they like to think about now and then but not focus on completely.
Whatever your situation, having a hope or a dream for something more can be a positive driver to accomplish your full potential. But, they can easily be pushed aside for things that are considered certainties in life, must-haves – food, clothing, shelter – or even distractions. The ideas, certainties and dreams, don’t have to be in conflict. Below are a few ways to stay focused on your hopes and dreams while living a fulfilled life that covers all the bases.
1. De-clutter
One of the biggest hindrances to making hopes and dreams come true is clutter. It’s not hard to understand why. We live in a mobile society. From our tablets, Smartphones to the technology that follows us everywhere, we are bombarded with messages regarding what we should strive for, what our passions should be, and what it means to live a successful lifestyle.
However, these messages can vary from what we view as successful, things we feel we should strive for. Because of this, the first step to making a hope or dream happen is to de-clutter your life. Look at the messages you’re faced with daily and make an effort to block out the negatives. Take time for yourself, take a yoga or meditation class, strive to sit in silence for ten minutes a day, take a walk or read a book. Whatever makes you feel at peace is a great place to start.
2. Create a Vision Board
Once you’ve made it part of your daily routine to unplug and make time for yourself, think about what drives you. What are some hopes and dreams you have for yourself. If you’re unsure, try to find ways to discover some. Look in magazines, online, start a Pinterest account, whatever it takes. Print our photos that relate to your dreams, think about where you want your life to go in the next ten years and beyond. Post those ideas onto a vision board that you place somewhere you see regularly: a bathroom mirror, your bedroom wall, your family’s kitchen, the living room… anywhere you spend time. Make an effort to add to the board whenever you feel something pull at your heart.
3. Choose Your Passions
From your dream board, think about what ideas you feel the most passionate about and find ways to convert those ideas into specific dreams. Do you want to open homeless shelters or drug rehab centers to help people move on with their lives? Would you like to travel and see the world? What about making it to the next level in a specific sport or activity? Passions vary from one person to the next. Find yours and you’ll find your dreams.
4. Set Goals and Deadlines
Once you know your dreams, decide to make them happen. To do this, set specific goals and benchmarks with deadlines. Think about what steps are required to turn your dreams into your reality. Do you need to take a few business courses? Maybe save a little extra money? Move to a new location?
Whatever it takes, think about small goals that are doable as steps toward achieving your dreams. Making them happen may be easier than you think.
5. Find an Accountability Partner
If there is one thing in life that is certain, it’s that support makes anything a lot easier. This is especially true of fulfilling hopes and dreams that may seem completely farfetched from the get-go. Surround yourself with support. Find friends or family members that understand your vision without laughing about it, who are willing to take it seriously. Ask them to hold you accountable. Share your small steps and deadlines and ask them to check in from time to time. When you’re accountable for something, you’re more likely to make it happen.
Hopes and dreams can be exciting motivators for real actions. Consider yours and take the steps above to start turning yours into reality.
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