Set Realistic Goals

 All of us desire success. We want fulfillment. Some of us want fame. Others want money. A few desire spiritual happiness. There may be some who want a little of everything, the fabled well-lived life.

In short, we all want our dreams to come true.

Some of my personal dreams are pretty lofty, like traveling the world or singing in a band. Okay, to be honest, I have been able to travel quite a bit, so I know that dream is possible, but I can't carry a tune, so singing with a band is definitely a bit lofty.

The problem is that if our dreams are not grounded in reality, they are simply fantasies, not achievable goals. That difference is often a fatal blow to many dreams. It also proves to be a major setback to those not prepared for the result of their lack of foresight.

It's okay to dream. Dreaming provides an acceptable outlet for our desires, our wishes and our needs. Dreaming is also a form of hope and hope is what makes us human. The ability to picture a reality different from the one we currently inhabit is an ability, as far as we know, unique to our species. The danger in dreaming arises when we allow some of our hopes to be mistaken for realistic goals. We are all more than capable of lying to ourselves, especially to save an especially treasured fantasy from the cold grasp of reality. If this type of lie is carried to its logical extreme, the result is a disaster. The only thing worse than an impossible dream is an impossible dream revealed for what it is. Delusions are not achievable.

The way to avoid this pitfall is to set goals that are both realistic and achievable. In order to do this, you have to be able to take an honest assessment of your strengths and weaknesses. You need to be able to actually identify the areas in which you excel, not the areas in which you think you excel or wish you excelled. You also have to accurately be able to identify the areas where you have less, or little, talent. You have to be clear about which is which. You might even have to abandon some cherished lies that you have told yourself for years.

The result of this process is that you free yourself to be yourself. You allow yourself to become the person you truly are, as opposed to the person you wished you were. You let go of delusion and replace that delusion with the truth. Once you possess this clarity about who you are, and what you do best, you become a juggernaut. The setbacks and obstacles that plagued you disappear, and perhaps for the first time in your life, you see light at the end of the tunnel.

The important takeaway is to make realistic goals, plan achievable steps, and keep moving forward with those steps. Be yourself and enjoy the process. Don't let setbacks get in your way of achieving what's important to you.

If you need inspiration, encouragement, or support, join Our Village... www.facebook.com/ahousewithfourrooms and participate in the private group.  A House With Four Rooms also has the ebook/workbook, Design an Intentional Life, available at this link:

https://www.ahousewithfourrooms.com/offers/qSDqTVvZ

Your goals matter...please share your celebrations with us on the Facebook page because each success inspires others.

Cheers!

Lisa