I spoke to a young man yesterday who inspired me, to say the least. He stood in front of a group of people, talking about his life plan for the next 6 months. It was a well-thought out plan, which demonstrated why dreams and goals are so important to our future.
Photo Credit: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I stood there smiling as I listened to what he had planned. He told us how he’d bought a tow truck recently, not on a whim but as a mature, responsible decision. He intended to work hard to pay it off, working 90 hour weeks until the payment was fulfilled. This would take him about 6 months, according to his calculations. He would then delegate work to other people, so he could earn money as he did what he actually wanted to do – his dream – to study at University while partaking in his love for cars.
He expressed his desire to work hard and make the sacrifices now, in order to have what he wanted later. He’d mapped out specific goals, in a specific time frame; being realistic and determined at the same time. He joked that he wouldn’t have a social life for the next 6 months, but in the end, he knew it would all be worth it.
This young man’s honest, but admirable intentions got me thinking about the way each of us views the future.
Why are dreams & goals so important?
As important as the present is, the future is as well. We need a sense of purpose – the feeling that we’re moving forward. When we dream to be, for example, ‘healthier’ and set the goal of ‘losing 10kg’, we have something to aim for. It gives us a direction to follow. Even if we lose our way, the dreams and goals keep us on track. When we eventually achieve these dreams and goals, we will feel a sense of accomplishment. This accomplishment will feel good because we know we’ve worked hard for what we wanted. We’ll know that we deserve the success that we’ve achieved.
Can you ever have too big a dream or goal?
I don’t think so. All of us are capable of doing great things with our lives; each of us just does it through different means. It’s just a matter of finding out which dreams and goals are right for us.
Once you know which path in life you want to follow, keep going. If you’re an aspiring singer and have just won a local singing contest, who says you can’t be a No. 1 hit one day? If you’re stuck in a 9-5 job but have dreams to run your own business one day, who says you can’t?
And if you’re like me, a stay at home mother who writes because it is her passion, who says I can’t write a best-selling novel one day? Who says that I can’t write for big name magazines and newspapers, and be a writer that people won’t forget?
All these things are possible.
If we all continue to dream.. if we all continue to set goals for ourselves…
We can have all those things.
Thuy Wood (formerly known as Thuy Yau) is a freelance writer, resume/cover letter writer and Youth Worker living in Perth, Australia. She loves to share her own personal experiences about overcoming adversity, as she believes that human beings are more capable than they realise. She writes to make a positive difference in the world and to inspire others to learn from themselves and their own experiences. Her writing has been discussed on radio, won writing contests, appeared on The Huffington Post UK and major Australian sites such as news.com.au, SMH, Kidspot and Essential Kids. She has just completed her first book – a memoir - and is on the search for a publisher.
Hi Thuy Yau, thanks for sharing this post, I really enjoyed reading it. And I absolutely agree with you that everything is possible. Since articulating my dreams and life goals I feel like a new person already. Living life on purpose is the best thing in the world. As Henry Ford said: “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right!”
I wish you every happiness in making a positive difference in the world and I share your passion!
Hi Helen!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed this post and that it resonated with you.
That is so wonderful that you’ve set goals for yourself. Having that direction means we can also acknowledge our successes along the way!
Henry Ford was definitely right – your mind is an absolutely powerful thing.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post and also for the kind comment!
All the best with your future! I am sure you will make a positive difference, no matter what you choose to do with your life 🙂