Friday 22 March 2013

HOW TO ACTUALIZE YOUR DREAM


                                Rev. Martin Luther King (Jnr)                                     
The title of my first article on the dream series was a question, “Do you have a Dream?” In that article, I defined dream as your passion or ambition. That is, a dream is something you are passionate about. A dream is an ambition you want to achieve. Also, I drew the line between a dream and a talent. I said that talent is a God-given ability to do certain things excellently but a dream is an ambition you want to achieve as already mentioned above. The second article on this series of dream was titled: “How to create a Dream”. Since we have so many dreams roaming on our minds, there is need to choose a dream that is more appealing or impressive to us. This is because it is not possible to achieve or fulfill all the dreams that are swimming on our minds.

However, today, we shall be looking at the topic I titled: “How to actualize your dream”. For you to be able to actualize your dream there are certain factors you must apply. The first factor that will help you to achieve your dream is planning. So, you need to draw up a plan or a strategy you will apply in order for you to fulfill your dream. A plan is an idea or a system for achieving an objective. It is a method of doing something that is worked out in advance. A plan states the steps you will take so as to achieve your goal. Your plan will include the “dos” and “don’t” that will enable you actualize your dream. Having drawn up your plan, the next factor that will enable you to achieve your dream is action. It may interest you to know that if you have a very beautiful and workable plan but you do not put action to it, it will not lead you anywhere. Action is the greatest principle that can assist you in actualizing your. You must act on your plan in order to fulfill your dream. For instance, if your dream is to own a supermarket, having sourced for funds, known the type of wares or goods to sell; you will have to go further to rent an office where you will display your wares or goods for your prospective customers to see. Thereafter, you will go and buy the wares from a distributor of the wares or you buy them directly from the manufacturer. Having bought the goods, you will need to display them in your office. Also, you will open the office for customers to come and patronize you everyday. Now, the activities of gathering the money, renting an office or shop, buying the wares, displaying the wares in the shop and opening the shop everyday for customers to patronize you is the action we are talking about! So, action are the activities we engage in everyday in order to fulfill certain obligations.
The next principle you need in order to actualize your dream is determination. Determination is commitment towards achieving a set goal. Thus, you have to make up your mind to succeed in your dream no matter the difficulties that may come your way. Determination is holding on to your dream without losing focus or quitting. Determination is a strong principle that will help you to actualize your dream if only you can hold on to it. Determination simply means to give yourself, time and effort to ensure the success of your dream. Discipline is another principle you need so as to actualize your dream. Many dreams have been killed because their owners lacked discipline. Discipline is self control and obedience to set rules. As you run your own business, you must obey the rules you have put on ground to guide you in running the business. In this regard, you should respect your resumption and closing time. If your resumption and closing times are 8 am and 6 pm respectively, you should keep to such times you have set for yourself. Do not say you are your own boss and can do whatsoever pleases you; as this type of attitude will not help your business to grow. In fact, it will kill your business.
Above all, you must have financial discipline. Many businesses have collapsed because their proprietors did not have financial discipline as they ate both the profits and the capital by buying exotic cars, staying ib duplexes etc. This should not be so. In fact, the profits that come into the business in the first one year should be ploughed back into the business in order to expand it. Another principle that will enable you to fulfill your dream is to believe in yourself. A lot of people have failed to achieve their dreams because they did not believe in themselves! How can you actualize your dream if you do not believe in yourself that you have the ability to achieve your dream? Believe in yourself that you can do it and the power to fulfill your dream will grow in you!
Hard work is another factor that will aid you to actualize your dream. When some people hear about hard work they shiver! Hard work does not kill. I have never seen anyone that dies as a result of hard work. So, if you were putting in eight hours when you were in paid employment, you should put in ten hours now that you are working for yourself. Hard work is simply putting more energy and care to a piece of work.
 Faith in God is another principle that will help you to fulfill your dream.. Faith is the strong trust in God. One thing you must know is that without God, our efforts will be in futility! Thus, put your faith in God to help you and God will undoubtedly help you.

1 comment:

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