There is nothing worse than a small dream. Seriously, small dreams suck. I just cannot stand them. They don’t serve you well, as you think you are moving the needle. But really you aren’t stretching yourself at all. You are just checking the “easy box.” And by doing that you leave yourself susceptible to actually reaching these “nothing” goals. That should really scare you. I am here to tell you that if you really want to make a difference in your life and those around you, then you have got to suck it up, and dream BIG.
Now I am not saying you should dream of being in the NBA at the ripe age of 45, or winning the lottery and dropping out of college. Those aren’t dreams…they are fantasies. However, what I am saying to you is that I want you to make sure your dreams make you feel just a little bit uncomfortable. They should seem slightly out of reach, and almost like a stretch.
Why? Two reasons.
The first is that stretch dreams will push you to work harder and focus more on reaching them.
And because BIG dreams make a BIG difference. Just think about how amazing you would feel if you actually dreamt big and then turned your dream into an actual reality. You’d feel pretty good about yourself, right? That is because dreams taste much sweeter when there is a little bit of sour along the way. The harder you work, the greater the burn, the better the pay off.
Most people have heard Walt Disney’s story. This guy was walking from bank to bank pitching asking for tens of thousands of dollars at the time to build a theme park filled with cartoons. Just think about the look on the face of a conservative banker when this loony tune asked for a 100K to bring a talking mouse to life? Freaking classic, right? But you know how the story ends…Walt Disney created arguably the most well-recognized brand in the history of the world. You cannot walk five feet on a sidewalk without seeing some shadow of Disney’s vision.
My point is that Disney dreamt BIG. And it worked. Even when everyone told him he was pretty much insane. Now you don’t have to be the next Disney to truly make a difference and dream BIG, but you do have to understand what it takes to build a BIG dream.
First, it has to make you uncomfortable. Maybe some cold sweats, raised blood pressure, or elevated heartbeat. Whatever the case might be, you gotta stretch yourself to make it BIG.
Second, it has to mean something if you reach it. Far too many people dream of something, but don’t really consider what would happen if they reached their dreams. They want to make a million dollars. Why? Well they hadn’t thought that far. I much prefer dreams that actually have purpose. So when you are dreaming, think about exactly WHY you want to reach that goal.
Third, you have to talk about your dream. Like a lot. I believe that the more you talk about something, the higher likelihood it is to come true. And it keeps you motivated and honest. When you talk about something, you begin to spread the word and hold yourself accountable for it.
Finally, you have to always move in the direction of your dreams. This is an important one. Every single day you should take some small steps towards your dream. Don’t take a day off, as there is no rest for the weary. Even the slightest little bit of progress each day can pay great dividends over the long run.
I am a BIG dreamer. In fact, there are times when people I trust and care about say I take it too far. Little do they know that is just fuel for my burning dream. I want you to realize the power of dreaming BIG. It doesn’t make you weird or crazy; in fact I would argue it makes you destined for success.
There are plenty of little dreamers in this world…don’t get lost in their limitations. Dream BIG and find something that keeps you motivated and inspired to keep trucking forward until your dream becomes a reality.
Then, start dreaming again.