How can you get closer to your dreams today? How do you reach your dreams and not be dissuaded by setbacks and commit for the long haul?

You each have dreams that you would like to experience. Dreaming is the easy part. The most important thing is to believe in your dreams. To have a desire and the focus to reach them.

I frequently hear people around me say that they would like to do this or that. They talk about this great idea for a few weeks until a new idea pops up and replaces it. And this becomes a never ending cycle until they come back to me a few years later and say, I should have spent more time on that idea and make it a reality.

My philosophy is to focus on a small number i.e. two big bold dreams that you can achieve in your life and be really committed to them all the way through. The key is to have patience and work on getting closer to your dream every day. You may never reach your dream in its entirety, but if you keep hacking away at it you will get closer to it. The “vehicle” that you choose to reach that dream may also change too, just remember to always have your dream in sight and in mind.

Here are two key ingredients to realizing your dreams:

(1)    set the right goals for yourself

(2)    develop and maintain motivation to keep the momentum.



Six ways to set the right goals:

-          Intrinsically link back into your dreams so that each of your goals is linked to your longer term purpose

-          You are excited and passionate about

-          Have meaning to you and your life

-          Are succinct so you clearly understand what it is that you are aiming for

-          Can be broken down into “bite sized” chunks so you can action them every day and recognize and reflect on the progress you are making

-          Can be realistically achieved and not demoralize you as a result of being too difficult

I personally wake up every day having a goals list, or what I term a “Productivity list”. This list is a way for me to sit back and really think about my dreams and what steps I’m going to take each day to get a little closer to this dream. The great thing about this productivity list is that when you get through the activities, you really feel like you have had a very productive day.

My productivity list also acts as a guide to remember things throughout my day. You know when you have those moments where you are side-tracked or having mind-blocks? This list will help you get back on track.


  1. Always start with the end in mind. This means you need to think about how any productivity goal item that you add to your list will directly or indirectly contribute to your dreams
  2. Aim to have a checklist of 8 “productivity”/goal items to do in a day. I try to aim for 8 items, however, my general rule of thumb is a minimum of 6 items to a maximum of 10 items
  3. Try not to spend more than an hour on any given “productivity” item
  4. Attempt completing one small productivity/goal item done at the beginning of the day and then move onto a bigger item. I use this method to “warm-up” to then move onto the bigger harder items and then leave the remaining easier items for later in the day
  5. Enjoy the journey and have fun along the way. Frequently reward yourself for completing tasks/items/goals. This will help motivate you and create more purpose through the journey.
Step by Step to Achieve your Goals