This is a guest post by JC Matthews, the Co-Founder of Simply Insurance. He is a Licensed Life and Health Insurance Agent with over 10 years of experience in the industry.
Saying “I will start tomorrow” is so much easier than actually starting anything.
Your biggest enemy is yourself when it comes to going from a dream to a goal.
And here’s the thing:
Eventually, it’s five years later, and nothing has been started, and you are still only dreaming.
Today I am going to go over what it takes to go from a dream to a goal.
Your Why
Before I started Simply Insurance, I needed to have my “Why,” and it’s no different for anyone.
Before you can take your dream to the next stage, you need to answer this question… Why?
- Why will you get up every day to achieve this?
- Why will you skip going to the movies or hanging out with friends to have this?
- Why do you want this?
- Why is having this important?
For me, the “Why” was always about being able to make any choice that I wanted to in life.
I wanted to be able to choose to wake up in the morning and go anywhere and do anything; it is still the “Why” that motivates me to continue to grow.
It’s going to be different for you; however, you need to have your “why” in your head before you start or there won’t be any motivation to get you through the next steps.
Dream To Realistic Goal Conversion
Once you have your “Why,” it’s time to convert this dream of yours into a realistic goal.
A dream is just that, a “Dream,” to make it a reality; you must first convert it into a series of goals for it to become a reality.
This step is important because it allows you to see that obtaining the dream is possible, but only if you set out the correct plan of actions.
This step can be things like:
- Setting up a corporation
- Reaching out to manufacturers to get pricing on production
- Getting Licensing if your industry requires it
- Finding a Co-Founder
- Finding a Job in the space, you want to work in
Whatever your steps are to get your idea from a dream to a goal, this is the step you need to take.
If you don’t have the “Why,” you won’t see or understand how to “Convert your dream into a system of goals.”
Writing Down Your Plan
Holding yourself accountable is very important when it comes to going from dream to goal.
The best way to do this, especially in the early stages is to write it down and keep it with you.
Purchase a small notebook and keep detailed notes.
Write down your plan and review it weekly to see how things are coming along.
I must admit, this was one of the hardest things for me to do, just writing down the plan was a big thing for me.
I would always say “It’s in my head,” but that was just me not being accountable to myself and my real goals.
If you write down your goal is to call ten people about your idea then it’s more real, because at the end of the day if you don’t call anyone, you can’t look away from what you wrote.
If you write your goals down as often as possible you will start to see a mind shift, and you will no longer see your idea as a dream, but as an attainable goal.
Work Ethic
Luckily for me, I was overflowing with work ethic, this came from years of working as an insurance agent.
Going 14 hours a day selling life insurance online and over the phone.
I always wake up at the crack of dawn and go to sleep late.
If you don’t have a strong work ethic, getting anywhere in life is going to be very hard and converting your dream into a goal will be even more complicated.
No matter how smart you are, someone with a strong work ethic will outshine you every step of the way.
It’s easy to want the lifestyle of the rich and famous, but none of us want to put in the work.
- Oprah is a Billionaire, but she worked for .50 per hour and sometimes free when younger… Yes, Fifty Cents Per Hour.
- Michael Jordan is a Billionaire, but he worked out every day and focused on the basics more than probably anyone.
- Jeff Bezos is a Billionaire, and everyone around him talks about his “Relentless work ethic.”
- Sara Blakely is a Billionaire, but she worked hard every day to go from an idea to a product and build a billion dollar empire.
Prepare For Failure & The No’s
The final step in this outline is to prepare for the failure & the no’s because they are coming.
Now, there isn’t much you can do about the sting and upset that a “No” brings, no matter how successful you are.
The “No” is always going to hurt.
However, understanding that people are going to reject your business, your idea and your strategy is a great thing.
Some people quit after the first No, or they quit before the first Yes.
Just understand that it isn’t personal and use it as an opportunity to grow.
Even now, I get “No’s” every day in some form or fashion.
The only difference is that I know that I am one “No” closer to a “Yes” and in life, you only need a few “Yes” moments to reach your dreams and accomplish your goals.
Taking Action
In conclusion, if you want to take a dream and make it into a goal you need your “Why.”
Once you have your “Why” it’s time to convert your dream into a realistic goal.
Write down your plan, have a strong work ethic and prepare for the “no’s” and for failure because they will happen.
Take each failure and “No” as a teaching tool and become better, challenge yourself to go from a dream to a goal, the only thing stopping you is YOU!
Joseph Chukwube
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