Turning dreams into accomplishments - Part 1

by Denise Wright, Ph.D.

When thinking about ourselves, what we want out of life, and who we want to be, changes may come to mind. Most of us have dreams, aspirations, and ambitions we hope to achieve. Many of us are not exactly where we want to be in life. There may be things you want to do, something you want to stop doing, or things you wish to change. Sometimes, you need an action plan and perhaps some support to make a change. Behavior change can be complicated; many people feel that their dreams are too big, they don't have enough time, or they may be afraid they won't succeed.

There are many ways to influence our success in attaining our dreams. This 10 part series will give you a tools that can help you turn your dreams into accomplishments. I encourage you to read one part at a time and work with it for at least one week before moving on to the next part of the series.

In Part One we discuss "Narrowing the Concept."

It seems simple to identify a goal, but in fact, the process is complicated.

First, we need to understand what you want to change. Most of the time, we start with a very general idea of what we want. For example, one might say, "I want to do better in school," which is a very general concept. There are many ways one can improve their performance in school. One could study more, attend more classes, pay closer attention during class, or ask more questions. Therefore, doing better in school is more of a wish or dream than a goal. In this blog, The first step requires that we turn our wishes into goals.

The way to do this is to narrow down the concept to a specific area of change

We often haven't thought through all the details of a situation when we seek to change. Examining the change, you want is the first step!

To accomplish part one, think about something you want to change.
My example:  "I want to be healthier."
One way I can be healthier is to exercise more. I have thought about being healthier and decided I would like to focus on exercising more.
In my example, I have changed “I want to be healthier” to a specific way I can address being healthier, which is by exercising more.
Over the next week or so, try turning your dreams or wishes into specific goals. What are a few specific things you would like to do differently in your life to create the changes you desire?
Join me in my next blog for Part Two!