When the world feels uncertain, it can be challenging to think about making plans for your future. Allowing yourself to stay stuck in uncertainty can also feel very stressful and cause anxiety.
You don’t have to accept the uncertainty. You can make plans anyway. There is always some level of uncertainty in life. Making plans anyway can help you take control. It doesn’t have to play out exactly the way you plan in order to be successful. Having a plan helps you take steps, which creates progress.
Your plan is a blueprint, just like in construction. If you know anything about construction, the original blueprint is not what the final product ends up looking like. As construction gets underway, the plans get changed to accommodate unforseen situations. Maybe there was a miscalculation. Maybe someone changed their mind about a specific detail. There are any number of variables that come into play. And one change may require other pieces to shift and change.
It’s the same with your plans in life. As you start to execute on a plan, you will see the reality of it more clearly and make adjustments. A plan is not intended to be the exact blueprint of the final product. It’s a starting blueprint that is subject to changes. It’s normal and it’s ok to have changes. That’s part of life.
It’s important to recognize that change is actually part of a successful plan. It gets you moving in the direction of what you want to create and allows for change along the way to make sure the final result is the best it can be.
With that in mind, here is a fun acronym to help you in creating a plan to live your dreams.
D.R.E.A.M.S.
D = Dare.
Dare to dream a big dream. Well, maybe big isn’t the right word. Big implies that your dream needs to be grandiose. That’s not the point. The point is to dare to dream your own, unique dream, that will make you happy. Many people settle for living lives that are less than what they truly desire and deserve. That might not be grandiose, yet it is still “big” in the sense that it’s a big change for you or a big deal to you. So, dare to step into your greatness to live a life that is more fulfilling to you, whatever that means for you.
R = Risk.
Continuing to live the life you currently have usually feels safe, even if it’s not because we tend to avoid change. It’s risky to change. We don’t know what the outcome will be. You need to take risks to have the life you truly want (unless you already have it all). It can be scary to go after something you very deeply desire. It may feel much safer to settle. What you find fulfilling might seem crazy to others and putting it out there can be difficult. It doesn’t matter what others think though. You’re not living for them. Take that risk and go for it.
E = Excitement.
Be excited about your dreams. When your dreams come from your heart, it seems the excitement would come naturally. Yet sometimes we tend to stifle that excitement when others don’t seem to understand or support us. Allow yourself to be excited about those dreams that truly excite you. Excitement creates energy around what you want and makes it easier for you to bring it in to your life… because it makes the next step easier…
A = Action.
Take action toward your dreams. Create a simple plan made up of small action steps that deliberately bring your dreams to life. Then take those actions. Again, the action is easier when you have excitement about them.
M = Momentum.
Create momentum through the actions you take. Each time you take action, you make a small bit of progress and you start to create results, which also increases excitement and makes the next action easier. Continue to take action over and over, creating small bits of progress over and over, creating excitement over and over. Keep it going to take advantage of the compounding results. That momentum gets you where & what you want.
S = Success.
Success means whatever you decide it means. Remember, it doesn’t have to mean that you executed your original plan exactly. It might mean you made progress and adjusted your plan as you went and you got an outcome close to what you planned… Or maybe you figured out that wasn’t what you want… Or maybe you stumbled upon something even better.
While you define your “success”, the ultimate success is in the journey… Because all of life is a journey… So be sure to enjoy it and make it purposeful and good.
That’s how you use the acronym D.R.E.A.M.S. to live your dreams.
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