2012 Resolution #2 - Dream Big
Posted on January 02, 2012 by Maria McInnis, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
The second article in a month-long series of resolutions
Resolve to dream big, and put the time and energy you need to make those dreams a reality.
Creating goals is an important part of life, but creating goals and realizing them are sometimes two very different things. One needs to be willing to put time aside each and every single day to realize their dreams without compromising their happiness.
This starts with having a positive attitude. In my bathroom I have a saying that reminds me of this daily:
“Believe in the Do, not in the Don’t
Believe that you Will, not that you Won’t
More comes with a Yes, than with a No
The first step in Achieving is Thinking it so.”
Without a positive attitude, one cannot achieve what needs to be done to put the energy into things that matter. Reaching a goal doesn’t happen overnight, and taking the time to focus is a must.
So, what is your dream? That is where one must start, and that is where all journeys begin. Everyone has a dream, whether big, or small, but you cannot be afraid to dream big. Dreaming big is how people, and the world, become better. One must be fearless and daring to dream big. Never think that something is outside of your reach, because only YOU set your own limits, and as Richard Bach reminds us in his book “Johnathan Livingston Seagull“, there are no limits to how far you can fly. You simply must be willing to stretch your wings.
So, you have your dream, now what? In NLP we say that people have all the resources they need to achieve their desired outcomes. At any point you have all the strengths you need to achieve anything you want, and if there is a skill that you do not have, then you have the ability, as a human being, to learn. But first you need to be willing to say that you CAN.
Remove negative language from your life. Do not say that you will try, instead do. Do not say that you can’t, say that you can’t yet, or that you will.
Remember that attitude is the mother of luck: Without it, we get no where. You have the choice to take upon yourself whatever attitude you wish to have. To make your dream into a reality, you must be willing to have a positive, flexible and flowing attitude.
Making your dreams a reality
In NLP we use a technique called “Logic Levels”. Inspired from the work of Dr. Gregory Bateson, the Logic Levels of Change can help a person overcome negative attitudes, help them build goals or even to overcome phobias. In this case, let us look over some of the basic concepts of how to build a goal through these six steps.
There are six main steps of building a healthy goal that is completely in line with your values, skills and means. This technique allows for you to realize not only what you want, but what the benefits are, and what particular skills are needed in order for you to move forward with your dream.
1. Environment “There is no place but here, and no time but now.”
When and where do you want to begin with realizing your dream?
2. Behavior “Attitude is the mother of luck.”
What attitude do you need to have in order to achieve your dream?
What attitudes are holding you back?
What attitudes do you have that will help you to advance?
3. Skills and Capabilities “What we CAN do is much more important than what we can’t.”
What skills do you have that will help me succeed?
What are your capabilities?
What skills do you need to build or learn in order to move forward?
Who do you know with these skills that can help you?
4. Beliefs and Values “Stick to your values so that you can live without regret.”
What do you value in your life?
Does this act with or against your values?
Who else shares these values to help you move forward?
5. Identity “We are what we make ourselves to be.”
Who are you as an individual?
How will this affect you as a person?
Will this be a strengthening experience for yourself?
6. Purpose “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Who are you serving with your dream besides yourself?
What changes will your dream make in the lives of others, if any?
What overall vision do you have with this dream?
How will your dream affect your long term life?
How will your dream affect the long term lives of others?
When you answer these questions, a path begins to open up in your life: one that allows you to target issues, find the things that you need and help you gain the focus that is needed to achieve your dreams.
It’s that simple. But the most important thing that you can do to realize your dream is to begin.
