Listen up, it’s time to stop lolly-gagging and put that amazing idea of yours into action! I mean you’ve waited this long. Why bother procrastinating any longer?
If there’s anything that impedes people from transmuting their dreams into reality, it’s a loss of direction. “Where do I even start?” many wonder. And in the midst of their bewilderment, they don’t even bother taking more than a few steps towards attaining their goal. Sad, isn’t it? So… how do you reignite your gumption and actualize your aspirations? Get your notepads out…
First things first, it’s time to develop a 6 month long plan towards your goal — step by step. Why? Think of it this way, imagine going grocery shopping without a written list. Chances are you’re going to forget a necessary item and you’ll get side-tracked into buying tons of other stuff that you had no intentions of buying in the first place. A written plan leads to tunnel vision and single-mindedness. Your purpose is one thing, and one thing only — success.
Trust me, I know it seems like a lot but this mission is possible. Here’s a template to help you get on track and make things happen:
Be precise about your goal.
“Oh, I just want to be rich and famous or something” is so not going to cut it. Something like “I will win Best Director for my indie film in the Sundance Film Festival next year” will work. Put this as the title of your notepad — and at the top of every page you write on.
Month 1. Research, baby!
During the first month of “the mission,” you will scour the internet forums (e.g. Reddit) to get first-hand accounts from people who are already where you want to be. Dedicate your time to write down their suggestions and advice. This will help to alleviate any confusion about how to achieve your goal.
Month 2. Become enlightened!
Now that you have a clear idea of what you’ll need to grasp in order to reach your goal, organize a “learning schedule” over a span of 4 weeks to soak up all the expertise you’ll need to succeed. For example, if I’d like to become an animator, I’d watch stop motion tutorials for week 1, practice what I’ve learned during week 2, get acquainted with using Adobe After Effects for the 3rd week, and then put it all together for week 4. Preparation is the key to performance.
Month 3. Become a daredevil.
Step out of your little cocoon and face the world! This is where the magic happens. At least one day each week, you will do something — in relation to your goal — that makes you squirm. Maybe it’s networking (dun, dun, dun!)… or perhaps you could finally muster up the courage to perform at amateur night. Taking a leap of faith impels momentum, adrenaline and fearlessness. Knowing that you can overcome your anxiety will help instill inner confidence that will carry over into your drive to actualize your dreams.
Month 4. Create a band of misfits.
There’s another very important reason why “daredeviling” is part of the plan — you’re guaranteed to make some organic friends along the way with similar goals. Let ‘em in on your ambitious plans. You’ll be surprised how supportive people can be in helping. You can probably both provide something for each other.
Month 5. Mingle with a mentor.
It’s time to find yourself a coach in the field that is concordant with your goal. This is important — they hold the key to a world that can manifest your dreams into reality. Keep a look out for professionals leading seminars, giving speeches or offering Q&A sessions. Attend these events. Even if you don’t have a chance to nab him or her as your guru, there are surely other experts floating around the vicinity that would love to offer you their support.
Month 6. Kill complacency.
Many of us don’t reach our goals because there’s no pressure. And as a result, we become complacent. For example, many of us have learned Spanish throughout grade school, but still don’t know a single word beyond “gracias.” But if you lived in Spain for a year, you’d have no choice but to learn the language. See where I am going with this? This is why brave, aspiring entertainers drop everything and move to Los Angeles. With their livelihood at stake, failure is not an option. In the same way, you’ll need to figure what your security blanket is — the safety net that makes you too complacent to chase your dreams — and kill it.
Those may be the steps of the “the mission,” but just because you complete them, doesn’t mean you will not have attained success right away. This is the impetus — the turning point where all everything you’ve gathered thus far will be the catalyst for reaching your goal. From this point forward, every day should consist of one meticulous action that will bring you one step closer to saying, “I did it!”
If you follow these steps and your dreams, I can guarantee that what was once a goal for you, will soon become an accomplishment.
