Dream or Fantasy
A dream and a fantasy have some similarities. The most glaring one is that they both belong to the realm of imagination. However, they are not the same. You can close your eyes and fill your mind with the delirium of your fantasies, but not your dreams.
Your dreams keep you awake!
They motivate you to action that makes them realities, despite the challenges and unfavorable circumstances you will encounter on your way. This post explores the grey areas between these two concepts and the features of attainable targets.
Dilemma of a Dreamer
__ “You see things; and you say ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say ‘Why not?"__ - George Bernard Shaw
The statement above is the dilemma of many dreamers. It is as if something they cannot figure out is missing. They cannot understand why others seem to talk about setting goals and achieving them, but it is never the case in their own experience. They had heard of great men and women who had spoken about how they envisioned becoming the kind of persons they became long before it happened. Still, it all looks like magic to them.
They had read of a man like Jim Carey who wrote himself a $10 million check long before it happened, and they are in awe of such an inspiring situation. They wish they can be that lucky. However, you need to realize that luck only favors the brave. You cannot expect yourself to achieve anything significant in life when you are not making any move towards it. Indeed, there are times when favorable factors will come together to give you a boost.
Still, it will happen while you are already doing all you can to make things happen. For example, while investing in real estate, you might find an undervalued property that will earn you a huge profit. Such a pleasant situation can only happen when you are already taking the necessary steps to achieve your target. You cannot get that kind of offer by fantasizing about becoming a great real estate investor in your house.
Features of Attainable Goals
If you don’t set achievable targets, you’re only wasting your time. You will keep going around an endless cycle that will only lead to frustration and regret. An achievable goal has the following characteristics:
Definite
The first property of an achievable objective is that it is specific. When your goals are ambiguous, they are nothing other than fantasies. For example, your goal cannot be something like “I want to be rich.” What do you mean by you want to be wealthy? Do you mean you want to be a millionaire or a billionaire? Do you want to be as rich as Bill Gates or Oprah Winfrey? It would be best if you were definite about what you want. So, instead of just saying that you want to be rich, you should say something like, “I want to have a net worth of $2 billion.”
Measurable
If you notice the example above, the goal can be evaluated. In other words, you can know when you have achieved the target. When you have a net worth of $1 billion, you can tell that you’ve yet to reach your destination. Do you know why? You have set $2 billion as your target. Whatever your dream is, it must be something that can be measured. In other words, it will be predicated upon some specific milestones and benchmarks. It must be stated in such a way that it will be clear to you and anyone else when you have accomplished the aim.
Feasible
The third characteristic of an achievable dream is its feasibility. This attribute addresses how you intend to reach the target. For example, if your goal is to have a net worth of $2 billion, how do you intend to achieve this objective? You cannot be working as a sales rep earning $10,000 per month and be planning to have a net worth of $2 billion. How is that possible? Unless you plan to be involved in some corrupt practices to augment the rest, it’s not feasible. By the time you pay your bills from the salary, you won’t have much left for savings or investment.
Meaningful
Your dream has to be relevant to you for you to be able to keep your focus in the long run. This fourth attribute addresses the question of “why do you want to achieve this goal?” If you don’t have a compelling answer to this question, you will soon drop the target and find another one. Why do you want to have a net worth of $2 billion? If you think it will make you happy, you’re wrong. However, if you want it so that you can achieve financial freedom and set up philanthropic foundations, you’ll likely keep your focus to make the dream a reality.
Time-Bound
The final quality of an attainable objective addresses the question, “when do you want to achieve the goal?” It is fantastic that your target is definite, measurable, feasible, and meaningful. Still, if you cannot decide when you want to make it happen, it is all a waste of time. If we bring all the attributes together, an achievable aim will look like this, ** “I want to have a net worth of $2 billion in the next fifteen years through real estate investing so that I can achieve financial freedom and assist the less privileged in my state."**
Pressure or Passion
People start things they never complete because their motivation for trying to achieve a goal is because of pressure rather than passion. It is easy to be influenced in the modern world because of the constant exposure to what is happening in other people’s lives on social media. You might suddenly decide to invest in the stock market because a former classmate claimed to be living large by investing in this sector during your college days.
In most cases, some of these people will not even try to understand the market to determine whether it is the right business for them. The truth is that there are many ways you can attain financial independence in life. Yet, it would be best if you took your time to examine every option to know the best for you. If you keep moving from one career path to another, you can never amount to anything significant in life.
Your friend is living large by being an affiliate marketer doesn’t mean you will achieve the same result. So, before you set out to try to achieve a dream, find out your source of motivation. Do you want to do it because you are envious of a colleague, or you feel that you have what it takes to succeed in this field? What if you realize that your motives are wrong. It’s never too late to rethink your decision and focus on the best area for you. You cannot maximize your potential if you don’t stay true to who you are.
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