We all imagine our lives are different sometimes. Mostly, we project forward and see ourselves living the life we always wanted, whatever that may be. For me, I’m a traditionally published author with a multi-book deal, my best-selling novel is in a prominent position at all bookstores, and I’m at a book signing during my annual leave from the part-time Museum job that I love just as much as writing. (And, yes, my pup Hugo the Destroyer is sat patiently at my feet being adored by my fans.)
But how many of us actually make that dream happen? What have you done lately to take a step forward toward that ideal life you dream about? Me? I’ve just completed my August goal of submitting the complete novel to a selection of agents. In September, the focus is on writing and I’m setting a word count goal to aim for. Small steps, perhaps, but it means that I’m closer to my dream than I was this time last year.
Make it real
The first thing to do if you want to live that life you dream about, is to admit it: know that you want it and make the decision to actively follow it. It can be scary to stand up and claim your dream life but once you do, and you tap into the desire you have, you’ll find that it’s a great motivating force. The way to do this is to write it down – as this increases the likelihood of it coming true! And if you write down your dream as if you’ve already achieved it – in the present tense – you’re already ahead of the pack, because your subconscious will process as it as though it is happening, no matter how far away it may be. [Note how I described my dream life in the present tense above?]
Break it down
Now is the time to figure out what you need to do to make your dream a reality. Do a bit of daydreaming, focus on what it is that got you to where you are in your imagination. What are the landmarks you have to pass to arrive there? To be a published author, I first have to write something worth publishing; I have to edit and polish that work to make it the best I can; I need to research agents; and I need to send out a professional submission. All of these things are in my control. What the agents decide is not.
Work backwards and make a note of all of these milestones. These are the goals you need to aim for. Now break them down too, one by one: what is it that you can do to accomplish these things? Then, the hardest part is to DO THEM: a lot of people fall down here, me included for a little while. Keep referring back to that description of your dream life; remind yourself why you’re doing it, and take it one step at a time.
Believe it can happen
The key thing in motivating yourself to keep going in the journey to achieving your dream is to believe it can happen. If you honestly don’t think it can come true, odds are it won’t. And while I might be dreaming of becoming a published author, what I’m focused on are two of the ‘lesser’ goals associated with this: building up a profile (by submitting to competitions etc.) and submitting to those agents. These are the pit stops on the way to my dream life; I might as well enjoy them while I can! For me, that means I’m rewarding myself whenever I accomplish any step toward my dream life. This reminds me I’m consistently putting in the effort into trying to make my dream come true, and spurs me on to make it happen.
What does your dream life look like? And what are you doing to make it happen?
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