Many great ideas end up wasted, many amazing dreamers loose their opportunities to shine. This does not necessarily mean that these dreamers are idle. They are usually busy running errands. They have great ideas but they can’t find time or space to cook up their ideas. Well, it’s easier to join a race that is already set than to start a new one.
If you are reading this and you have an idea that has been brewing in you for a while, here are 6 things you can do today in order to move closer to launching your dreams.
1. Make up your mind to live not endure. Do you know that so many people ignore the thought that they were designed to be great? Some believed it until life happened to them. Others are too busy to remember while some others prefer to play it safe. My dear, you were designed by the one who made all things and affirmed each of His creations as being good. That includes you. You can start believing that today. How would you know that you believe? That’s easy, you will start acting based on the notion that you are indeed a great person. your decision making will be sound like that of a great man or woman.
2. Declutter your life. One next mental action you will need to do is to clear out all the things that are not helping you achieve your personal goal in life. The best way to do this is to use Stephen Covey’s 4 quadrant matrix below:
3. Stop saying yes to everyone. As you prioritize your tasks, you will need to learn to choose carefully what you say yes to. This way you will be making room in your life for greater things ahead.
4. Start going to bed with a plan for the next day. Imagine waking up and having a clear image of what the day would be like. When you plan the night before, you save yourself the stress of worrying about that day. Though you don’t have the power to know everything ahead for the day, however you will worry less and take steps with ease and with some greater level of confidence.
5. Have a quiet time daily. The moment you get off your bed in the morning (or whenever you wake up) there are a hundred and one things waiting to grab your attention. Stuffs you forgot about, ignored or even abandoned. If you don’t practice having a time to be quiet before you launch out you will likely end up running around all day, with little or no time to calibrate properly. What you do in your quiet time is up to you but one thing I do is commune with God. I thanks him for a new day, clear up issues with him – clean my mind with his words and lastly spend some quality time to simply be quiet. I often hear him speak to me at this point. Do it, your life will be better.
6. Lastly set out at least 10 minutes thinking/planning time into your daily schedule. This is just the beginning. Everyone dreams, but it’s only those that add action to their dreams can become achievers. Start by writing out all your ideas. Many of the people I have helped were drowning in myriads of ideas and my recommendation has not changed. If that is you, you need to write out your ideas on paper or on your computer/device. This action alone will optimize your brain for more effectiveness. And if all you have is one idea, go ahead and do the same. For example, what sort of research will you need to do? What sort of help will you need? Who could you talk to with regards to this idea? These are a few things you need to work on in your first week as you take time out to think and plan.
“Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”
-Benjamin Franklin
Procrastination is one of my worst opponents in achieving anything great. For example, publishing my 2 titles on Amazon was not without the tog of war. It’s not that I find it hard to do what I need to do but many times other thing appear more urgent and important and I have to say yes or no to what I think is important at the moment.
Using the 4 quadrant Matrix has always helped me to do what I can do today. Take a look at some major brands in our world today; brands like Google, Apple, Facebook, Mercedes, Puma…, none of them happened in one day. However the conceptualization started in a day, then research, then more brainstorming, then production, then some problems, then more research, then lot of marketing. Every good idea has to pass through several steps before it becomes real.
So my friend, start early. Take 10 minutes today and tomorrow, the days after and the next. Don’t stop even when you feel like it. Plan it into your day and into your year. Sooner or later you will be glad you did.