How can you test your dream? Know your success criteria and you can take that idea from dream to reality
Many of us never take our dreams seriously.
Perhaps we’re influenced by people and society around us to believe dreams are just pie in the sky - and that what really matters is putting your head down and getting on with the life you’ve got.
I don’t buy that one.
I prefer a wider view. One that prefers possibilities over limitations, that selects intelligent choice over automatic routine. It’s easy to move into one job, then another; to climb the ladder and sleepwalk into a life you don’t remember imagining or consciously creating. One day you wake up and wonder how it happened!
What’s the alternative?
How about giving your dreams some air-time? Get them out in the open and test out what you’d love your life to be and why that matters so much to you at this point in your life. Instead of dismissing your dreams as ‘unrealistic’ before you’ve even tested them against your own criteria, give yourself the benefit of the doubt. Explore.
I’ve put together nine touchstones to check out your dreams. It’s 2020, the start of a new decade – and potentially the year you take your dreams seriously!
VISION – back to the question at the start of this article. What is it you want from your life and what does a fulfilled life look like to you?
Take some time to explore this in detail, reflecting on location, where work fits into this life, who’s sharing it with you, what you do for pleasure and reward, and who you are.
Creating a vision board can be really helpful here – you can download my free guide here if you need help to get started. Creating a vision of the working life you want is also a crucial part of the career change process I use with my clients and takes us into the wider realm of a fulfilled working life rather than a new career.
2. VALUES – your values are what matter most to you.
They are also who you really are when you’re not adopting a corporate identity, a professional persona or being who you think you’re expected to be.
Many people never consciously think about their own values and whether (for example) creativity is important to them or whether autonomy matters more than security, or if integrity trumps success?
When you gain clarity about your own values (and then live to honour them) tough decisions become so much easier. Living your values also means understanding WHY your dream deserves to be heard.
Read more about Values here.
3.PURPOSE – this can sound daunting!
Very few people would be able to come straight out with a statement of their deeper purpose in the world. It could well be a lifetime’s work to discover what your purpose truly is.
When I’m discussing this with clients, we look at impact and contribution – and we look for themes and patterns in their life so far. This is another part of the WHY puzzle. When your work (or life) allows you to express something deeper that merely ‘surviving’, the rewards are rich indeed. Along with values, clarity on your purpose makes change possible – and that’s when dreams can become reality!
If you’d like to uncover the golden thread in your own career so far, try my free workbook: Joining the Dots in your Career Transitions. Just leave me a ‘YES – Joining the Dots’ in the comments and I’ll send your copy right over. Or use the contact form to get in touch.
4.ENERGY – when you think about your working life, what boosts your energy and what drains you dry?
It doesn’t take long to write a list of each – take a typical week and just list them out in two columns. Notice what you were doing when your energy levels received a real boost (or when time seemed to disappear) and what (or who) sucked the life right out of you. How would it feel to be spending most of your working day on energy-giving work rather than the draining stuff you might currently be lumbered with?
If you’d like to explore the idea of finding work when you are in flow – energized, stimulated, and deeply engaged, contact me and request my free guide: Discover Work that Sets You Alight.
5. CLARITY – when was the last time you felt that you were exactly in the right place, at the right time, and acting as your real self?
When you have that level of clarity about your values and purpose, when you convert that knowledge of your WHY into beliefs and actions, then you’ve succeeded in aligning who you are with what you do. That clarity is priceless!
It’s taken me a long and twisty career to gain that level of insight. But I can honestly say that when you know your WHY and are ready to bring it to life, you can find the courage and motivation to change your dream into reality.
That’s why the first step in my career change programme is called just this – Clarity!
A comprehensive career change programme within a coaching framework.
With this structured approach and personal coaching, you’ll gain the clarity and conviction to make the changes you want.
6. REALITY – some people would say that a dream is the opposite of reality.
That spending time on your dream means you’re living in a Disney world of make believe.
But what if the ultimate version of reality was in fact designing a life where you can honestly say you are using your strengths in service of something that matters to you and supporting people you value? Is that just a pipe dream?
I don’t think so. It takes guts, hard work, intelligence, resilience and perseverance to convert your dream to reality. If you’re equating reality with the status quo, with ‘putting up’ or ‘soldiering on’, then perhaps you’re missing a trick. What if reality is in fact what you choose to make it? And by harnessing what you’re great at with what you love doing you are actually stacking the cards in your favour?
Take a cool look at what your beliefs are around reality and whether some of these may be holding you back from exploring your dream.
7. PATHWAY – one reason many people don’t pursue a dream is because they dismiss it before they’ve even given it serious consideration.
There are undoubtedly people who will say ‘that can never happen’ – and it certainly won’t if you believe them. Instead of dismissing your dream out of hand, start exploring what steps would be taking you in the right direction? You don’t have to know the full route to set off, but knowing WHY this a good path for you will help you stay connected to reality and firmly motivated to make the changes you want.
8. PEOPLE – who are your supporters?
Who can you share your dream with without fear of cynicism or rejection? Who will take your dream seriously and keep you wise company on the journey? Seek out the people who won’t judge or feel threatened by your willingness to explore – not everyone will understand or want what’s best for you.
Consider a coach, or attend a workshop that inspires you in your ‘dream’ field.
Find writers whose ideas resonate deeply with you and create a weekly dose of their good stuff. My own sources of inspiration are Brené Brown (for courage and authenticity) and Ingrid Fetell Lee (for design and joy).
Who are yours?
9. COST – and in case you were starting to find this all too good to be true, here’s the reality check.
There will be a cost attached to bringing your dream to the world.
It may be that if you’re changing careers you might need to re-train or save a financial cushion to tide you over until your dream is paying its way. If you’re considering a change of location, you might also need to re-organise how you interact with close friends or (ex) colleagues. Knowing the value of your dream really makes any costs very do-able. Know the benefits and you’ll also know whether you’re prepared to pay those particular costs.
And on the other hand, what is the cost of ignoring your dream?
Ultimately, which price are you more willing to pay?
To kick-start your thinking, try out my new resource: Is Your Career Fit for Purpose?
This checklist will quickly reveal what you want your work to do for you – and how far it’s succeeding at present. You’ll also start to understand some of the pieces that are currently missing.
Just request your Fit for Purpose checklist in the comments and I’ll send it across – no sign-up required. You can also use my Contact form if you prefer.
If you feel the time is right to give your dream some space and time, if you’re ready to explore what it is you want to look back on with pride when you’re 95, get going! Life can be short, but fulfillment is a prize worth aiming for.
[Image by Jaime Handley]