Dream Leader: Dream Plan

So as we continue on this journey of becoming better Dream Leaders, we have already taken the time to look at the power dreaming can do for you personally and professionally. Last blog we looking at what is your purpose, what gives you passion, and what gives you the joy in life. All important steps. Now that we have those ideas and dreams, we take the next step. It’s time to write it down.

There is something powerful about writing down your dreams. For me, the goal of writing down your dreams helps take it from the not real, to the real stage in life. When you spend time thinking about your dreams, you float from thought to thought, which is important. Like when you put the budget together, putting the plan down and on paper is an important step. So once you have had time to dream and examine your purpose, then we start the plan. But I now it’s time to put down.

The action, the bold step of writing down your dreams and purpose move you towards making them happen. This action, a leader’s action, starts moving the process from thought into action. And…it makes something you should be accountable for in the future. Until you write it down, it is just a dream thought. And we are not raising dream thinkers, we are growing Dream Leaders!

So why is it important to write down your dreams and plan? Because if you are going to make these past steps anything more than a good idea, then you have to make a plan. And to make a plan, you need to put into action your foundation of what you are wanting to do along with how it supports your purpose. Very similar to why you create, write down, and hopefully follow a budget, you can track success, see where you are making right decisions and when you have gone off course. The process of a Dream Plan has the following steps:

1. Write it down: It may seem odd, but you need to actually write down your dream. Along with the dream, you should have prominent in your area your purpose for you to see. The visual purpose reminder allows you to keep front and center what you were created for and what you want to accomplish. Writing down your dream brings you one step closer to making it happen. If you don’t, then it is just a good idea floating around. Ground your thoughts and write them down!
2. Clarity: Writing down your dreams and purpose allows you the opportunity to clarify  your thoughts. This time permits you to see any confusion you may have in your dreams. Critical to this is to see if any of what you are dreaming is not supportive of your purpose. Writing down the plan and sharing with a confidant and having a discussion gives clarity to areas which may need clarity. This step is healthful to your dreams. Take the time to ensure your dreams and purpose are clear, accurate, and represent what and who you are as a person and leader.
3. Resolution: This is tied closely to helping to clarify your dream and purpose. But I feel strongly it needs to be emphasized. You need resolution if your dreams and your purpose are not aligned. I have seen too many leaders and people who have constant conflict because these two are not compatible or collaborative in nature. If they are not, you will be fighting everything during the journey. Your confidant or mentor should have eyes on this dream and purpose determination and you should give them open access to provide direct and honest feedback to you. You need harmony in these two if you want to be successful.
4. Accountability: Now is the time to bring a trusted confidant into your dream thoughts. The reality is, sometimes we need a push and we need someone to hold us accountable to our dreams. This person should be selected carefully. They need to be an encouragement to you, challenge you, and you trust them with your dream. They need to be the one to nudge you when you stop following or pursuing your dreams. They are the ones to call you out when you make excuses and they should be your biggest advocate for what you are doing. Finding this person increases making your dream a reality.
5. Motivation: Now you need to keep yourself motivated. There are many ways you can do this and from last year’s blog we talked about ways to keep yourself motivated. For this part of the journey, many find it helpful to create a visual project of their dream. You take actual pictures that represent what you want to accomplish. Then you put them together on a board and display it where you will see it regularly. This visual board should speak directly to you. This is not for your spouse, your boss, or even your confidant. This board should motivate and assist you in keeping focused on pursuing your dream.

Leaders, this step is so important to your success. You need to take the dream you have created, and after matching it up with your purpose, you need to make a plan. Write it down, clarify it, make sure you have tied it to your purpose, make sure you or someone else helps hold you accountable, and then motivate yourself to follow through. You have made great strides towards your dream and making them happen for you. This step makes it tangible. Make a dream plan!

Leading with you!

Dean

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