"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt
While it is a convenient notion to think that simply a vision of your business will guide you properly down the right paths to business success, if you buy into that myth then you are heading down the fast path of likely disappointment. The reality is that success depends on a LOT of hard work and planning, as much as simple and seemingly accidental luck.
If you fail to plan - and fail to understand what (and why) it is that you truly are trying to achieve, then your dream will materialize in ways that will eventually seem out of sync from your intended vision.
Dreaming without a plan is simply irresponsible. Not only to yourself, but to the opportunity that may be wasted due to lack of respect for the process involved to harness the true power of your dream and nurture it properly to success.
More than a few years ago, a popular comedienne named Lily Tomlin was quoted as saying, "I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific. " If you frame your dream within this context, be sure that your give your dream definition.
By now, you have surely heard of SMART goals, but have you tried to apply them to your dream? A quick refresher class on using SMART planning for those who need it:
- Specific - can you almost touch your dream? Feel it? Taste it?
- Measurable - how can you tell when you have arrived at it? Or heading the right direction?
- Attainable - can you see yourself attaining your dream? Are you seeing previously overlooked opportunities or skills that will help you down the right path?
- Realistic - do you believe you can achieve it? Are you both willing and able to achieve your dream?
- Time Driven - gotta have a deadline.....fuzzy deadlines make fuzzier goals
When you have your vision, your epiphany or inspirational moment, grab it by the horns and turn it into a SMART Dream. Respect the vision and embrace the process...Embrace the Power of the SMART Dream...and don't become cursed with the Dream that got away!
