Dream BIG. Because being realistic can be a waste of time.

If you've got to dream, dream big.

There are two very important keys to making this work:

BELIEF. And ACTION.

We become what we think. It's funny how the mind works. It has millions of thoughts zipping around up there, even right now. Most of them in your subconscious. And the mind has a funny way of making itself believe the thoughts that it shuttles back and forth.

Something happens between childhood and adulthood that makes us embarrassed to dream. Call it the "killjoy" factor. People second-guess us. People mock us. People doubt us. And they make us doubt ourselves.

Have you ever shared an aspiration with someone, only to have them point out why it probably won't happen? It can be the most devastating thing.

On the other hand, have you ever shared an improbable desire with someone, only to have them support you enthusiastically?

Note how your mindset, and your physical actions, differ, in both situations.

In the former, you almost instantly believe that the aspiration is too lofty, to unlikely. And your actions reflect that. Thus, this perception becomes your reality. It's like you never even get the chance to step up to the plate and take a swing!

In the latter situation, your self-doubts are reduced, and you start to think: "Well, I guess it's not SO silly after all... not SO impossible." What's this? Your mind has just been given permission to solve this problem! To look for ways to get you closer to this goal!

Just having that belief that your aspiration can materialize transforms your mental. If you get enough positive affirmation, you move into ACTION!

So dreaming is good. Aspiring is good. But why make the dreams so lofty? So ... unattainable?

1. Realistic dreams have to compete harder for your attention!
   (Because you have lots of realistic dreams.)
   
   

2. Realistic dreams have more suitors!
   (Because everyone's doing it.)
   
   

3. Realistic dreams are easily blown off track!
   (Because the winds of adversity pick these first.)
   
   

4. Realistic dreams stifle your ability.
   (Because you are what you think. Great potential only becomes tangible when used.)
   
   

5. BIG DREAMS give you an adrenaline boost.
   (Because we all love the thrill of a good chase.)
   
   

6. BIG DREAMS focus your attention.
   (Because they leave no room for time-wasters.)
   
   

7. BIG DREAMS increase your abilities.
   (Because once you believe, you can achieve.)
   
   

8. BIG DREAMS attract BIG ENABLERS.
   (Because the teacher appears when the student is ready.)

9. The ROI (Return On Investment) on Realistic Dreams Sucks!
   

So often we feel like we're playing catch up. What a way for an entire generation to live.

With all this in mind, your "realistic dreams", while admirable, very easily fade into the background of everything else you have to worry about.

Look - we all have stuff that we HAVE to do. And a lot of that stuff doesn't get done. Or at least doesn't get adequate attention from us. By adding a "dream" or "aspiration" to this list, we're condemning it to the same attention-starvation.

But a big, unrealistic dream? Now, that's a different list entirely...

Tim Ferriss of 4 Hour Work Week has an amusing observation that illustrates this point. The stunningly attractive woman in a bar will have fewer guys walk up to talk to her, than the "pretty women".

Okay, so it's a bit shallow. But if you are (or were) single, and have been in social settings, this may ring true. Call it the "Halle Berry Syndrome". (Halle has complained about not having a lot of suitors.) So many of us are intimidated by the seemingly unrealistic goal, that we tone down our expectations, and settle for 2nd (or 3rd, or 4th) best.

The point is, there are various aspects of our lives in which we can identify with aiming for the mediocre, because we were intimidated by the ultimate.

And because there are so many other people doing that...

THERE ENDS UP BEING MUCH MORE COMPETITION FOR THE "REALISTIC GOALS", THAN FOR THE UNREALISTIC ONES!

Every year, I set my New Year's resolutions. And they are largely the same, from year-to-year. More exercise. More family time.

Usually by the time spring rolls around, I've realized that I'm not doing any better than I did the year prior. (Sigh.)

It's not for lack of trying. It's not for lack of motivation - these things are important to me! But it's because... LIFE HAPPENS. The Scottish poet Robert Burns reminded us that "The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry".

And when life happens, the newest realistic goals are the first ones to be placed on the back burner. They haven't had a chance to become a habit yet. And you can do without the benefits they promise, temporarily. Except that temporary state drags on... indefinitely.

For me, one aspiration was to create an experience for college graduates that matched the Disney experience, in terms of fully immersive nostalgia. BUT, I will admit to you, that a fear of failure (I didn't verbalize it as such at the time) led me to scale back. To rely only on my own resources (versus sharing the dream with others, and leveraging their resources). It led me to target a small niche market, for practice (versus going after a bigger market, which would give me the necessary profits to make this an unmatched experience. In the end I didn't fail. Worse than that. I had a mediocre showing. And the terrible thing about a mediocre showing, is that it's safe. And you don't learn as much as you ought to. "At least we ____________ (fill in the blank)".

A dream deferred.

I regret selling my dream short. I regret not investing my dream. I regret not dreaming big.

All too often, I tend to think I can get a realistic dream accomplished all by my lonesome. After all, I may not be God's gift to Earth, but I do all right... I have a skill or two...

Now while that very well may be true (it often is), it takes your limited resources (time, energy, money), and splits them between all of your existing tasks, and this new realistic dream of yours.

You see - when I said I could accomplish this dream, I was thinking as if I had 100% of my resources to focus on it. In reality, I never do! So what ends up happening? I give it a good go at the outset, and then competing priorities take over. Dream deferred. Again.

On the other hand, when I have a BIG DREAM on my hands, I immediately know that I'm going to need back-up. Rather than jumping into DOING, I spend more time SEARCHING. Searching for people who've done what I'm trying to do, so I can learn from them. Searching for ways to do this EFFECTIVELY FIRST (that is, with a focus on the end result, not on the activity leading up to the result) and EFFICIENTLY NEXT (that is, once I've defined what it will take to attain the result, I look for ways to short-cut the work but still get the desired result). Learn more about this on the page that talks about "Leverage".

The really great thing about going after a big dream is that it's like hunting for an elephant, while everyone hunts for squirrels. As you tell people (and you should), your story stands out. Your quest stands out. And people start to volunteer resources! People they know. Books they've read. Web sites you may find useful. Even folks who aren't BIG DREAM HUNTERS themselves, will give you tools you can use. Because they by-and-large haven't much use for those tools.

The other thing about not dreaming big, is that the effort to achieve a "small" dream, ends up being not that different from the effort to achieve a "big" dream! If you're going to exert yourself, why not go that extra 20%, to increase your prize by 200%?

Visualize your dreams:

I found this quote very relevant to dreaming big. Perhaps you'll enjoy it, too.

"If there were ever a time to dare, to make a difference, to embark on something worth doing, it is now.

Not for any grand cause, necessarily-but for something that tugs at your heart, something that's your aspiration, something that's your dream.

You owe it to yourself to make your days here count.

Have fun.

Dig Deep.

Stretch.

Dream big."

"Believe in the incredible power of the human mind.

Of doing something that makes a difference.

Of working hard.

Of laughing and hoping.

Of lazy afternoons.

Of lasting friends.

Of all the things that will cross your path this year.

The start of something new brings the hope of something great.

Anything is possible.

There is only one you.

And you will pass this way only once. "

- Anon

Suggested reading::

• "Finding your own north star: claiming the life you were meant to live" - Martha Beck
• "The Magic of Thinking Big" - David Schwartz

Here's a video on dreaming big - from the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness"

Dreamlines are different from TimeLines. According to Tim Ferriss' "4 Hour Work Week", Dreamlines are setting aggressive (unrealistic) timelines against your dreams. For a moment, suspend your limitations from money and time.

What 3 things would you want to Have, Do, or Be in the next 3 months?

Share with your fellow Rat Race Rebels!