Being “realistic.”
I get it. I do. I understand the purpose of recognizing the reality of your present circumstances, but I think many people spend far too much time in reality.
What about possibility?
As in, what’s possible for you? What you’re capable of creating in this life and in this amazing world we live. I coach many individuals who start off sharing their dreams with some version of, “I know it’s not realistic, but what I’d really LOVE to do is…”
If you have a dream, it is absolutely 100% possible for you. Not just anyone, no. But YOU? Yes. Why? Because you dreamed it. You crave and long for and FEEL it. You have this dream because it’s yours, and yours alone, to fulfill.
“You can be anything you want to be, if you only believe with sufficient conviction and act in accordance with your faith; for whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.”
Napoleon Hill
How to move into the realm of POSSIBILITY in four simple steps.
1. Learn to trust your intuition.
This is the number one thing I preach as an essential practice for happy living AND bringing your dreams to life. You have to learn to trust your intuition above all else, at all times. Your parents may be older and, by default, probably wiser, yes. Your best friend may have a cousin who fell flat on her face when she tried to start her own business, and, therefore, she does have some experience with the matter (though, not first-hand).
None of that matters. What matters is whether or not YOU feel in your bones that this is the right thing for YOUR LIFE. No one else’s experience, wisdom, or opinion is relevant. It’s impossible for anyone other than you to know what’s best for your life. You’re living your life; you’re experiencing the world in your own unique way. YOU get to decide what’s right and what’s wrong. No one else.
Listen. Be respectful. Thank people for their concern. But only take advice and information that FEELS relevant to you and your needs. Discard the rest.
2. Steer clear of naysayers.
Remember, not everyone around you can see the possibilities you’re capable of seeing for yourself. Don’t let outside beliefs (or lack thereof) limit what you work toward creating in your life.
Usually the people you expect to support you (such as family and friends) are the ones who do the most naysaying when it comes to following your passion and dreams. First and foremost, remember that this is because they love you and only want the best for you. The problem is, they usually think “safe” and “realistic” is what’s best. Sometimes it is (like, please don’t go running into any burning buildings, my friend), but when it comes to following your dreams, playing it safe and realistic can lead to depression, overwhelm, stress, and discontent across the board of your life.
With naysayers, the best bet is to avoid conversing with them on the subject altogether. Yes, I do mean to say that maybe talking to your mother about your business dreams should be avoided. I know it can be hard not to include the people you love in your life dreams, but you have to do what’s best for you. If someone isn’t supportive, they don’t get to be a part of the conversation. Period.
3. Surround yourself with possibility.
Join a mastermind group with other aspiring or successful entrepreneurs. Hire a coach. Buy magazines that promote and showcase individuals who have made their dreams reality. Hit up Google and find out what other people have done.
Possibility is all around us. There’s a world out there full of amazing people just like you who got clear about what they wanted and made it happen.
Start by creating a vision board or inspiration file. Research individuals and companies in your field of interest. Research outside your field of interest. (Don’t create more limitations by only seeing what people related to you are doing; get inspiration from everywhere.) Whatever it is you want to do, someone’s done it or done something similar. Use that as inspiration to start moving forward!
4. Start taking action, right now.
No matter how big your dream is, it’s never going to happen unless you start taking action. Start by creating major milestones for yourself: name business, launch website, first client, quit job, first $10,000, etc. Then, work backward from those milestones and create smaller, actionable goals. Keep working backward until you have action items you can do TODAY.
Don’t let the immensity of your vision stop you from moving forward. Find a way to take a step forward toward your dream every single day!
Stephenie Zamora is the founder of www.stepheniezamora.com, a full-service life purpose development, design, and branding boutique. She merges the worlds of personal development and branding to help young women build passion-based lives and businesses. Click here to access her free Foundations for Unshakable Joy™ video training series and learn more about the program! Connect with Stephenie on Facebook and Twitter!
*Photo Credit: Nhoj Leunamme == Jhon Emmanuel via Compfight cc
