Dream-shaping
As the year comes to a close, many take time to reflect on the past and set intentions or goals for the upcoming year. Regardless of when we choose to do this or what we call it, both personal and professional goal setting is an effective exercise. After all, if we don’t have goals, what value do our actions add to our lives or business on a daily basis?
We must lead ourselves before we can lead others so with that, let’s focus on personal goals for now but instead of thinking of it as goal setting, why not try something I like to call - dream-shaping? Sounds lovely doesn’t it? Just the word alone puts the image of rainbows and fluffy white clouds in my head. What is dream-shaping you might ask? Well it’s the process of identifying your big picture dreams, what you want your life to look like. When you were younger, how often were you told to get your head out of the clouds and stop daydreaming? Well at the risk of contradicting many a pragmatist, I would say, never stop dreaming! Envision your dreams regularly and visually see your life the way you want it to evolve. Using a vision board can be a great tool to help articulate your hopes, desires and dreams. Once you have that mapped out, you can more strategically set your goals in a way that will help get you there.
When I use vision boards, I segment my board into categories that cover off family, career, “things” and life in general. Within each of these dream categories, I have specific goals I want to achieve which will help me realize my dream. Everyone is different so you want to be sure to categorize in a way that makes sense for you. Keep your board in a place that is easily visible, refer to it often and continue to add goals as you think of them and maybe even the occasional motivational quote to inspire you when you need a lift!
In the Seven Steps to Achieve Your Dream, we are told to:
Dream it
Believe it
See it
Tell it
Plan it
Work it
Enjoy it
Goal setting falls within the “plan it” stage. As you can see, this is closer to the end of the dream-shaping journey. So next time you plan to set out your goals, I urge you to think about your dreams first, create your vision then set the goals that will help you realize those dreams.
Believing in our dreams is the first step to believing in ourselves.
If this resonates with you, be sure to pick up a copy of my book YOUR EXTRAORDINARY SELF for more tips on how to #BYBS – be your best self - and always remember #AnythingsPossible
