Having dreams and a vision is great, but what if those dreams
don’t match up with present-day reality? Should you just give
up on them?
Absolutely not! But sometimes pursuing your dreams means
stopping to build a bridge to get there.
Here are the key points to keep in mind as you build that
bridge.
Take a long-term view
This isn’t so much a step as it is a way of looking at
things. Don’t let the obstacles of the moment create your
future. It’s too easy to run into trouble and get so caught
up in overcoming it that you give up on the dream in the
process.
Take a long-term view of what you are trying to achieve and
put things in perspective. Look at the challenges as nothing
more than current (and overcomeable) obstacles, not eternal
blocks.
Get clear on your vision
Get really and truly clear on your vision. Anchor it in your
mind so you know where you’re going. Write about it. Identify
what inspires you about it.
Take a deep look at the question, “Why does this matter?”
What impact will it have when you achieve it, both in your
own life and in the world around you? Whose lives will you
touch? How will they be different? How will the world be a
better place once you’ve reached it?
Use the resulting insights to fuel your efforts to overcome
your current obstacles and help you keep an eye on your vision.
Take stock of your challenges
You can’t bridge the gap between today and your dreams if you
don’t know what the gap looks like. Now is no time to play
ostrich and stick your head in the sand. Take a realistic
look at your situation. What are the challenges? What
problems do you need to overcome?
Break the challenges down into their component parts. Say,
for example, your big dream involves a career change down the
road, but right now you’re so worried about losing your job
in these uncertain economic times that it’s distracting all
your attention from your long-term vision. Some different
components of your concern might be, for example…
- I might lose my job.
- Someone in my company is going to lose their job (will it be me?).
- If I lose my job I might not be able to find another job quickly.
- If I lose my job I won’t know how to look for another one effectively.
- If I lose my job I might not be able to pay my bills.
- If I lose my job I will take a hit to my self-confidence and self-image.
This isn’t an invitation to a pity party. It’s simply an
inventory that will let you take a more purposeful approach
to bridging that gap. When you break it down into pieces, you
can create a plan to tackle them one at a time.
Take stock of your assets
Take a look at the assets you have to put to work towards
overcoming your current obstacles. What skills and abilities
do you have? What knowledge do you have? What external
resources do you have (relationships, community, financial,
etc.)?
Take stock of what you need
To get from point A (where you are right now) to point B (the
other side of your current obstacles), what do you need? A
new job? More money? More options? Job search guidance?
Emotional support? When you can clearly articulate what you
need, you can start identifying potential solutions.
Identify potential planks in your bridge. Start building.
Now that you’ve done all that work, it’s time for some
bridge-building! Here are some ways to approach it.
Brainstorm ways to address specific concerns
Remember the concerns you outlined in “take stock of your
challenges?” Now is the time to start exploring ways to
address them. For each concern, brainstorm as many potential
ways as you can to eliminate or reduce it.
Each of the challenges you identified earlier offer a
starting point. For example, if you’re worried about losing
your job, you can ask, “What steps can I take to maximize the
potential that I’ll keep my job?” (Check out this blog post for
ideas.)
Brainstorm ways to use your assets
For each of your assets ask, “How could I put this to work?”
Do you have a particular skill you might be able to use to
create an additional revenue stream for yourself? (e.g., I
have a friend who has a gift for organizing and occasionally
puts a note on craigslist offering her services.) Or maybe
you can use it to barter for services that will help you get
what you need. How about community? How can you tap into your
communities to help you bridge the gap?
Brainstorm ways to incorporate what you need
Finally, what are the ways to bring more of what you need
into the picture?
For example, if you need to build more of a financial buffer
to feel comfortable, what steps can you take? Brainstorm ways
of earning more money. Can you get a second job? Add Google
ads to your blog? Or maybe it’s about addition by
subtraction. Take a look at your budget. Are there any
possibilities for reducing your spending?
Remember that all you’re doing is building a bridge, not the
entire road to your dreams. This is about getting beyond the
current challenges so you can look back ten years from now
and say, “I’m glad I didn’t let that stop me.”
Sustain your vision
One danger of focusing on overcoming current obstacles is
that it can be so all-consuming that it blocks out the vision.
Explore ways to keep the long-term vision in the picture.
Surround yourself with people who share your passion. Read
books, magazines, blogs, etc. that will feed your desire to
turn that vision into reality.
You’ll be glad you did.
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A Travel Guide to the Career of Your Dreams
