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Don't Dream on a Budget

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Don't Dream on a Budget

I’ve never met anyone with an outrageous goal or personal dream who didn’t have a dynamic passion and zest for life. This, of course, made me curious.

Ever since I was little, I was always amazed to hear about the incredible people who shaped our world such as the Egyptian rulers, Roman leaders, and individuals like Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, The Wright Bothers, Dale Carnegie, Richard Branson, Bill Gates… I could go on forever! Although these individuals and groups have dramatically different backgrounds, customs, and personalities, they all have one thing in common: The ability to think big.

This sounds like a fairly simple concept, right? Well, easier said than done. In many cases—often unknowingly—we become jaded in the way we perceive our own abilities and how the “real world” works. As we grow older we begin to redefine the word “realistic,” which consequently defines and confines our potential to do bigger and better things. What once seemed like a realistic possibility becomes a distant fantasy. We replace old dreams and goals with those which we now deem as “practical.” With each passing year we may naively adjust our expectations about ourselves, other people, and the “real world.” As a result, smaller dreams and desires become more and more acceptable—to the point where we chuckle as we reminisc about our earlier goals and aspirations.

Why do we do this? Well, ask different people and you will probably get different answers. But my experience has shown me time and time again that the reasons for reducing the size of our dreams can almost always be traced back to one thing: Fear.

“Ha! Not me!” you say. “That’s ridiculous. Why would I be afraid of achieving a goal?” Well, hold on just one moment. The fears I am referring to are often subconscious, meaning they may not be as noticeable as the feeling we get when standing at the edge of a high building, or holding a snake, or giving an important speech. In contrast, these are fears we develop as we move through life that we may not be aware of. They may be uncertainties that we don’t consciously think about as we make decisions regarding what goals to set in the first place. Whether we're aware of them or not, they still remain in full-effect as we navigate through our lives.

The fears I am referring to are:

Fear of letting ourselves down
Fear of looking silly to someone else
Fear of damaging our reputation
Fear of losing money
Fear of missing out on something else (opportunity cost)
Fear that achieving the goal might distance us from friends
Fear of having others get jealous which could sabotage a relationship
Fear that achieving your goal may not be as climatic as you imagine
Fear that the process of achieving the goal might take too much time

Although many of these fears may seem petty and insignificant, we can see the power of each one as we put them in context. Any of the fears listed above will influence:

What schools/jobs we apply for
Who we are willing to ask out on a date
How we approach various social situations
how we confront major personal challenges in life
What we invest our time in
What social commitments we make or decline
And even how hard we are willing to try

The reality is, no one is exempt from experiencing one or more of these fears, so what matters then, is how we respond. Many of these fears either lead to inaction or a “down-sizing” of the overall vision we have for ourselves and our lives. The good news is, however, our fears do not need to be the defining factor of our lives.

And by the way, some desires and goals will change as we grow, but when an innate desire to do something great is cast aside in the name of doubt, it’s a real loss—not just for ourselves, but the rest of the world as well.

It tears me apart to see so many people who—in fear of falling short— accept smaller goals and smaller dreams. For this reason, many people are limiting themselves before they get out of the starting gates!

This world is full of inspiring stories about people who have overcome all odds to achieve things far beyond what other people thought possible. The common factor was that they all had big dreams, goals, and aspirations to begin with. Remember this key concept:

Rarely will we get the most out of ourselves

if we don’t first have a vision big enough

that it challenges us to grow in order to achieve it.

I know it has become an overused cliché, but when I was faced with the age-old question, “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” I realized that I was thinking too small as a result of fears I had not confronted. I needed to think bigger and I cannot begin to explain how my life has changed as a result of doing so. Here's another principal lesson I learned: The reason most people don’t follow through with their dreams and goals is not because their dreams are too big, but rather because they were too small. To get the most out of ourselves—and our lives—we need a vision that requires us to use every god-given resource we have available: Our time, our creativity, our discipline, and our contacts.

Big goals inspire every aspect of our being and help us burst through the inevitable challenges along the way. As my friend Tim Ferriss says, “I’ll run through walls to get a catamaran trip through the Greek islands, but I might not change my brand of cereal for a weekend trip through Columbus, Ohio. If I choose the latter because it is ‘realistic,’ I won’t have the enthusiasm to jump even the smallest hurdle to accomplish it.”

Unfortunately, the majority of the people are convinced they cannot achieve great things, so they aim for the mediocre. Don’t underestimate yourself and settle for what your fifth grade teacher--or anyone for that matter--once told you was “practical.” The first secret to thinking big and achieving big is this: You’re better than you think. Believing that you have hidden ablities and unknown potential engages our imagination and urges us to think beyond who and where we are today. Anne Frank once wrote, “Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! And what your potential is!” Just imagine how that one belief might free your mind and expand what is possible in your life.

The truth is big dreams add life to our life. A big dream invigorates us and gives us energy. It’s similar to the feeling you get when you know a vacation is around the corner. On the day our vacation begins, no one needs to motivate us to get out of bed. Why? Because you’re excited about the future—even if it is only a few days. A dream always gives you something to look forward to—and we all need something that gets us excited; otherwise life becomes a job when it can and should be so much more. The journey of fulfilling our dreams keeps us alive, optimistic, and excited.

Recently, I made a vision board where I cut out pictures of places I wanted to go, people I wanted to meet, things I wanted, and words and phrases that inspired me. I then pasted them onto a large foam-core board and hung it in front of my desk. It keeps me motivated to work hard because I have a clear vision of an exciting future. And let me assure you, I will definitely have to grow personally in order to make some of my aspirations part of my reality. It’s going to be a challenge, but it’s certainly something compelling to work towards. Creating a vision board is an exercise worth every minute.

But that’s enough about me… what about YOU? My challenge is this: Create a compelling vision of what you want your life to be about and who you want to become … with no limitations. Did you get that? NO LIMITATIONS. Progress always requires innovation that is preceded by a large vision of what’s possible. As you think about your future and what you now consciously decide is "practical: or "realistic" consider the words of author, David Schwartz:

“The size of your success will never exceed the size of your belief.”

You might want to read that again. Don’t sell yourself short by dreaming on a budget. Be an example of what’s possible. Think big, believe in yourself, and take the plunge. As Helen Keller put it, “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing." It’s purely up to you.

Much success,

- Kent Healy

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