Is Your Dream Fantasy or Desire?

This time around upon listening to the words sung by Susan Boyle, “I had a dream worth living” they resonated with me in terms of entrepreneurship.

So many times we do have dreams but all that comes of them are excuses. Why is that? Some say it’s due to lack of funds, negative others, negative voices inside our heads, lack of faith it will come true, and yet others say it’s none of these traditional explanations. They claim that the fear instead is of becoming famous, super wealthy and the thought that the newly found success will turn your world upside down and you will be unable to handle it.

If you were to put all of the doubt and fear aside, the next questions to follow are was your dream merely a one-time fantasy or is it a recurring desire? In my opinion, if the idea frequently flows into your mind and heart – then, like Susan, it’s a dream worth living.

Avoiding wasted big expenditures is a must. The best route to take is to learn from those who have already tried a similar endeavor. What was done poorly? What actions were executed well and made the difference for success? Are you able to mirror some of these while remaining authentic to you and building your brand? These lessons are invaluable for preserving your capital.

Next, let’s look at a few techniques for handling traditional self-doubt. The first place to start is to leave negative minded people behind and instead surround yourself now with others who, similar to you, have dreams and pursue them tirelessly to achieve them. As you see others moving up their ladder of success you will begin to wonder if you too are capable of the same. You may begin to question them on how they got past their sticking points to achieve what once seemed insurmountable.

One of the easiest ways to rid yourself of negative voices in your head is to become very focused every minute of the working day. At any given moment, you know what you need to work on to keep moving forward. Time efficiencies, goal setting and clear vision of where you are headed must be adhered to every working moment. Once your mindset is focused, the negative voices will slip away to find someone else less inclined to be successful.

Another technique to discourage negative voices and negative others is to purchase an inexpensive bulletin board to place above your desk. Post reminders of the fine work you have done in the past which may include Thank You notes, awards, pictures of milestones in your life and anything else that will remind you of just how special you really are. Surprisingly, I found this to be very motivating and it drives home the point, “Yes I can!”

If the lack of faith in your abilities plagues you or you have a profound fear of failure, try the technique large corporations use. Change your vocabulary from “fear of failure” to “marketing research”! They never say to the public, “We failed due to our last product being so ineffective, so we’re hopeful the new one will be better.” Instead they say, “Our marketing research demonstrates this new product will be even better than the last one!”

In other words, if your dream is worth living, then it is well worth it to take the time to learn from those who have gone before you. Invest time and money in educating yourself and then go for it with your heart and soul. Even if you aren’t successful the first time out, when you keep refining, pursuing and learning – you will be on the road to success and your dream will be worth living!

Of course, when your dream thrives, I call this a Smooth Sale!