How to turn your dreams into reality

Many of us want to be, do and have more - but how do we achieve it?

Last week I found myself writing a list of some thoughts that I've had about a new product. These thoughts have been bubbling around for about a year. They generally come into my mind when I am out running and there is little else to think about. But, I arrive home, find myself distracted, and continue with life.

However, I recognise that goals are met by action. As Benjamin Franklin once said:

“Well done is better than well said.”

So, if you have dreams, how can you action them?

Start now

With so much uncertainty currently, it can feel safer to spend time coasting along a familiar path. Without an end in sight, plans are difficult to make. However, this weird state of non-normal normality can actually provide multiple opportunities.

If your social life has quietened, use the time to put pen to paper. Now is the time to turn your long-held dreams or concepts into reality. In the past, time may have been your greatest inhibitor, but now it is not knowing where to start. Picking up a notebook and pen is the best way. Scribble out some thoughts so the dreams start to become action.

If your social life is still ripe but hitting the shops in your lunch break feels uncomfortable, spend an hour journaling, reading, or writing about your big ideas. The thoughts in your mind might not be the next winner on Dragon’s Den, but seizing the opportunity you have now will be time used well.

Check your mental and physical health

To continue with your plan, you need to ensure your mental and physical well-being are a priority. Embracing a growth mindset gives you the power to grow a little each day. Spend 20 minutes on a morning workout. This is something accessible to all – for example, an easy walk around the neighbourhood with your family or a free exercise class on YouTube. If you belong to a health club, try a new class.

Check your thoughts

The pathways in your brain change in alignment with your thoughts and experiences. Continued negative thoughts make negative thoughts easier to access and less noticeable. Start to take notice of the things that come into your mind. When you notice a detrimental thought, say to yourself 'STOP' and replace the thought with something that enables growth.

Notice whether your focus is on you. It can be habitual to focus on the noise in difficult situations. Whenever you spend time reading or talking about things you cannot control, you are taking time away from yourself and your personal growth. Knowledge is power but only when we can use the knowledge to benefit our own situation. Gain knowledge and use it to grow.

Surround yourself with people that help you to grow

The friends that you learn from, those that inspire you, the ones that build you up. They are the people that will help you to grow.

Right now, with restrictions on the number of people that we can spend time with, it is important to focus on the powerful influences in your life. By respecting yourself and saying no to the people that bring you down, you can evolve in the way that you want to. Looking after yourself increases your self-esteem so that you can be who you want to be, do what you want to do and achieve what you want to achieve.

Take control

When you moan, you are refusing to acknowledge that you have the power to change. Growth requires consistency, commitment, and effort. When you commit to putting in the effort you must be consistent. Treat yourself as you would others and, when you make the decision to do something, action it.

Respect your own boundaries

Boundaries are the space between you and another, marking the place where one person ends and the other begins. When you say no, stick to it. If you find your boundaries ignored, change something so that your boundaries become stronger. For example, if your friend always leaves your house an hour later than planned, meet somewhere mutual so that you can leave when you need.