Do You Want to Believe?

What is it that you want to do? Whatever it is, you have to want it. Do you have grandiose hopes to change the world? Or maybe you just have a small goal you hope to achieve by 2 weeks from now. No matter what your goals are, and no matter what plans you put in motion to realize them, you have to believe with every fiber of your being that they are possible.

We often confuse dreams with goals. A dream is something that you wish would happen. A goal is an achievement that you are actively working toward. There is a lot of great writing out there about goal-setting (this post by Silvana Avinami is a fantastic example), but you aren’t going to achieve anything unless you honestly know deep within your soul that you can make it happen.
Here are some ways to determine how convinced you are of the viability of your goals:

· Write about it: It is easy for all of our thoughts to get jumbled into one big ball of Yes-I-Can attitude before you have really considered the ins and outs of your plan. If you simply start free-writing your thoughts and feelings about it, you will start to see some recurring themes that will tell you if some things may need to be addressed before you charge in full steam ahead.
· Talk to a friend: A close friend will tell you if your plans are viable or not. They know you well and can tell how much you really believe in what you intend to do. If you are being unreasonable, or are unprepared, you will certainly hear about it.
· Research, research, research: Find personal accounts from people who have set the same or similar goals and achieved them. How did they do it? What sacrifices and special plans did they have to make? What obstacles did they run into? How long did it take them? After finding all this out, measure your own tolerances and time tables against their experiences. Is it something you still want to put the effort into?

This post is not to discourage anyone from going after something they want. Just make sure that you really do want it before you put the blood, sweat, and tears into it. Because if you don’t want it, you won’t get it. Do you believe?