“What if….?” Those are two very powerful words. I enjoy talking with people about their dreams, and I will often ask someone what they would be doing if time and money were not obstacles. I’ve seen people get a faraway look in their eyes and say something that may seem very unrealistic to them but is something they would secretly like very much to do if only they believed it was possible. That is one way to describe a dream.

Another interesting aspect of dreams is the ability to start in the real world of here and now and move into the realm of possibility. The famous playwright whose work, Pygmalion, was the basis for the movie, “My Fair Lady,” said, “You see things; and you say Why? But I dream things that never were; and I say Why not” – George Bernard Shaw.

The story of Eliza Doolittle not only demonstrates what can happen in the life of an individual when dreams are given substance and put into action, but it demonstrates the widespread effect of a dream on the rest of those involved, as in the case of Professor Henry Higgins.

“If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it” This is a good starting point for transforming dreams into reality.

The starting point to turning dreams into reality is to set a goal. Simply put, a goal is what you want to achieve. Most sports have goals. Moving something a particular distance to a particular point is achieving a goal and getting rewarded. The best goals are specific, attainable and measurable.

When you think of your dream becoming a reality, what is the first thing you think of to do in order to start getting you there? That is a goal–the first of many you will achieve to make your dream come into reality.

“Goals are a means to an end, not the ultimate purpose of our lives. They are simply a tool to concentrate our focus and move us in a direction. The only reason we really pursue goals is to cause ourselves to expand and grow. Achieving goals by themselves will never make us happy in the long term; it’s who you become, as you overcome the obstacles necessary to achieve your goals, that can give you the deepest and most long-lasting sense of fulfillment” – Tony Robbins.

“A goal is a dream with a deadline” – Napoleon Hill. There are three things absolutely essential to being successful at turning dreams into reality. (1) Set a goal. (2) Write it down. (3) Do it. What is the most basic thing you can think of to do as your first step in making your dream come true? Most people don’t do the next step–Write it down!! A vast amount of research shows that when we write a goal down, our mind sets about to accomplish it. That may sound too simple to be true, but it is so powerful.

I challenge you to write down one simple goal you know you can achieve to begin turning your dream into a reality. You don’t have to tell anyone. You don’t have to show it to anyone–ever. Just look at it yourself from time to time as you do the thing you have written down. I’ll have more to say about this in future articles. This is so important. I cannot over-emphasize it.

“Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal” – Vince Lombardi. You’ll get to the hard work as your dream takes shape. For now, just focus on the easy, clear formation and writing down of one goal. Enjoy your success. Enjoy mastering your dreams.

“What if….?” “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible” – Tony Robbins.

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