Nurturing Your Dreams to Reality
Thinking positive is an important part of success, but it takes something more. You must nurture your dreams. This may sound like practical advice, but if it were easy, everyone would be living the life of their dreams. We can look around and see that is not happening. Having a dream is a wonderful thing, but how do we make it come true? Here are 6 ways you can nurture your dreams to reality.
- DECIDE what it is. This may sound like an obvious thing to do, but so many of us are not clear about what we want. Imagine tossing some seed into the ground with no idea what it is. How would you even know how much water to give it, or if it needed sun or shade to grow. It would be a real struggle to nurture some random plant not knowing what it is exactly. Your goals and dreams are the same. You must treat your dream like a living thing. Before you can begin to even nurture your dream, you must decide what it is you want to grow. Give your dream a name, spend time with it, and get to know exactly what it is.
- Maintain a sustainable environment. If you begin to plant a dream in a heart and mind that is full of negative thoughts and doubt, it will not take root. It is like planting a flower in a ground that is not tilled or fertilized properly, it would make growth exceedingly difficult if even possible. You must make sure that your mindset is right, and it’s prepared for the work you will need to do for success. Prepare ahead of time with a strategy and plan. You may even consider having a coach. Your mental environment has to be clear of distractions and anything else that isn’t moving you in the direction of the life you desire.
- Provide what it needs. Like a garden full of living plants and flowers requires the proper watering, sunlight, and food to grow, your dream is a living thing, and it has many needs as well. For your dream to grow, you will need resources, tools, motivation, inspiration, information, accountability, support, education, the right mindset, and a place to contribute. You will need to surround yourself with people who are like-minded and work towards accomplishing their goals and dreams. Treat your dream like a prized possession and hold it in high regard.
- Avoid all distractions and negativity. In this information age we live in, the distractions are many. In fact, quite overwhelming at times. The negativity level is on full throttle. You must be sure to avoid all distractions and negativity at all costs. Remember, a distraction is anything that does not move you towards the life you desire. The devil shows up in sheep’s clothing. It may seem like a good idea, and even be enticing, but it is not what you should be focusing on. Kick negativity to the curb. Do not listen to it, hang around with it, watch it, or be a part of any form of it. Stay focused on the positives like being grateful, people who are change and solution focused, uplifting podcasts, and anything that puts an emphasis on self-improvement, growth, and personal development.
- Give it space to expand and grow. Since your dream is a living thing, it will always be expanding and growing. If you are focused on growth and learning, you will constantly gain new ideas and ways to improve upon your dream. There is a time when you may need to weed and prune anything that is not working the way you thought it would. Remember, pruning is a good thing and will help give more room for growth.
- Be patient. Enjoy every moment on your success journey. Do not stress or rush. Your story will most likely not be an overnight success. Besides, you would not want it to be. Overnight successes tend to fizzle out quickly. Consider the garden, once you plant the seed, it takes time to experience the fruit. Your dream is the same. Remember, three steps forward and two steps back will still get you where you want to go. Be patient and if you are nurturing and tending to your dreams, you can wait in expectation that they will come true!
To nurture your dreams is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Your destiny is shaped by your dreams.
Written By: Kim Martin
Founder of I’ve Decided, INC