HOW TO MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE
Top Tips From People Who’ve Done It
Collected by MoreToLifeThanShoes.com
Whether your secret fantasy is going on a round-the-world adventure, finding the ideal career, running the marathon or jacking in your job and starting your own business, making your dream a reality can seem like an impossible task.
But if you’re lacking in inspiration, or you just don’t know where to start, help is at hand. MoreToLifeThanShoes.com, the home of inspirational women on the net, went out and asked a load people who’ve already made their dreams come true for their advice. Then we asked our site experts to come up with some practical tips to help the rest of us daydreamers get off the sofa and go for it.
FOLLOW YOUR PASSION
It sounds obvious, but if you do something you love, life will be a lot more fun! Knowing what makes you passionate is the key.
LISTEN TO THE GIRLS WITH GUTS
“We need to find a way of merging work and life, instead of doing one at the expense of the other. When you follow your passion, work doesn’t feel like work. I can’t imagine Leonardo Da Vinci knocking off at 5pm, or Picasso worrying about his work-life balance.”
Baroness Susan Greenfield, brain scientist and Director of the Royal Institution
“Even if you have all the knowledge in the world, there’s no point without passion. I knew absolutely nothing about lingerie when I started out to create the Ultimo bra! But I knew I could invent something better than anything else on the market. It took me three years, but when I finally launched the bra it sold out within hours and I knew it was going to be an incredible success. If you’re determined, you will find out all you need to know.”
Michelle Mone, inventor of the Ultimo bra
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DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT, WHAT YOU REALLY, REALLY WANT…
Finding out what you feel passionate about sounds easy, but sometimes it’s hard to put your finger on. Work your way through these questions and see if all becomes clear.
- What would make you jump out of bed on a Monday morning?
- If you could call in sick for a day, what would you do?
- What would you enjoy doing even if you weren’t being paid?
- When you are bored at work, what do you daydream about?
GET REAL
Setting clear and specific goals is the first step towards achieving your dream. The clearer you are about where you want to go, the more likely you are to get there.
LISTEN TO THE GIRLS WITH GUTS
“If your goals are fuzzy, the chances are you will not achieve them. It is not enough just to be clear about the ultimate goal. We also have to be clear about objectives along the path to that, year by year – even day by day.”
Dame Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop
“It’s important to be clear about your dream and make sure it is front of your mind all the time. Communicate it, talk about it, let it guide all your actions.”
Kanya King, founder of the MOBO Awards
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WRITE IT DOWN
Something magical happens when you commit your dream to paper. It helps to affirm in your mind that you are serious about going after this dream. Write down your dream somewhere that you will see it every day. Carry a ‘goal card’ with you, so that it reminds you of your dream each time you delve into your pocket or handbag. This will help your unconscious mind focus on your goal like a heat-seeking missile.
Visit the More to Life Than Shoes stand at the One Life Show (Stand P44) to get your free tip card with space to write down your dream.
GET CONFIDENT
Confidence is a state of mind! If deep down you think you can’t, you probably won’t. The secret of being confident is appreciating your assets and building on what you have.
LISTEN TO THE GIRLS WITH GUTS
“When I told people about my dream to sail solo across the Channel I had negative reactions. A friend said, ‘Yeah, that sounds good ... one day,’ and I could tell he meant ten years in the future. But when you decide to do something you just have to go for it. If somebody tells me I can’t, it just makes me more determined.
Hilary Lister, first quadriplegic to sail solo across the English Channel
“When I was trying to get the MOBO Awards off the ground I had doors slammed in my face and thousands of phone calls unreturned. But it just made me more determined. In the end I re-mortgaged my house to raise the cash, and the event was a huge success. Life is punctuated with set back and obstacles, but it’s all the more enjoyable when you achieve success despite them.”
Kanya King, founder of the MOBO Awards
“Everybody has the voice in their head that tells them they’re going to fail. Beat it by being endlessly upbeat – it will create positive thinking in you and those around you as well as in yourself.”
Martha Lane Fox, founder of LastMinute.com
“You may have skills you don’t aren’t even aware of. For example, being a parent is the best training you can get for being a success in other areas. Leadership, hard work, project management and multi-tasking … you’ve already done it all!”
Jo Salter, first female fighter jet pilot
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MIRROR TRICK
Many people feel uncomfortable really looking at themselves in the mirror because they suffer from a lack of self confidence. To boost your confidence, look in the mirror every day and repeat "I accept myself" ten times. And get rid of that little voice in your head telling you you’re not good enough by writing a list of twenty reasons why you’re ARE good enough.
GET ON WITH IT!
Making a change in your life can be daunting, but if you divide your plan up into chunks it will seem more manageable. Taking the first step towards your goal is easy when it’s a teeny tiny step. And not having any experience or knowledge of your chosen field is not an excuse – go and get some!
LISTEN TO THE GIRLS WITH GUTS
“Don’t sit at home waiting for the phone to ring. It won't. You have to have the courage to bang on doors otherwise people won’t know you’re there. Be willing to hang around the periphery. One day someone will need a hand and you’ll be the one that comes to mind because you were there at weekends helping out for free and making the tea. It really works.”
Annie Nightingale, first female DJ on Radio 1
“The best bit of advice I’ve been given was, “You only go though the first day once”. That hideous feeling in the pit of your stomach when you go to start something new? Once you’ve got through the first day it never happens again. The only way is up!”
Victoria Averill, journalist
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TIME TRIAL
Think about the sort of experience that will come in handy on your journey. Put aside some time, even if it is only to spend a few hours helping a friend, volunteering for a charity or arranging a work placement. Having something to draw upon will help build your confidence and shape your dream.
FIND POSITIVE PEOPLE
Hang out with people who support you and ditch those who bring you down - harsh but fair! Go out there and find new people who can help you achieve your dream - networking sounds scary, but it can actually be useful and fun. Honest!
LISTEN TO THE GIRLS WITH GUTS
“Nobody gets anywhere alone. It’s about getting the right advice. I’m not too proud to ask the experts if I don’t understand something. I never try to bluff it!
Kanya King, founder of the MOBO Awards
“Women are good at small talk – I can talk about shoes to anyone! But if you find you’re always stuck for something to say, try to remember one fact about each person you meet, so when you next meet them, you can ask them about it.”
Prof Wendy Hall, computer scientist
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MINGLING MAGIC
Telling someone neutral about your dream can help clarify it. This needn’t be family or friends – they’re often your harshest judges because they worry about you. Instead, try telling someone you don’t know. Go to a party and get small talking. You’re bound to be asked what you do for a living, so even if you aren’t doing it yet, dive in there and tell them about your plans. You might not explain it with much confidence the first time, but move on to someone else and try again. You’ll be surprised how quickly your idea is clarified in your head when you have to keep someone interested.
LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES
LISTEN TO THE GIRLS WITH GUTS
“Anyone who is afraid of making mistakes shouldn't become an entrepreneur! Stick to working at the pick and mix counter at Woolworths.”
Rachel Elnaugh, BBC Dragon’s Den panellist
“Be decisive in knowing what you want, but flexible about how you’re going to get it. The timetables of our lives rarely run to plan.”
Hilary Mantel, author
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OOPS! I DID IT AGAIN…
If you’re stressing about a mistake you’ve made, exorcize the stress demon and make it work for you instead of against you by writing down what went wrong.
- Why do you think it happened?
- What are you going to do differently from now on?
- How are you going to think differently?
ENJOY THE RIDE
It’s all very well having a dream, but if you haven’t got the grit and determination to make it happen, it means nothing. There’ll be hard work involved! But don’t overdo it ... remember to have a laugh along the way.
“Nobody tells you how hard they had to work to be successful. It's like a dark secret, you think it just happens. When I hear artists sing in the studio, it sounds effortless, but I realise they’re putting their whole life into it.”
Annie Nightingale, first female DJ on Radio 1
“Enjoy the journey. We hurtle through life, through peaks and troughs, but when we get to the achievement, we realize that all the fun was to be had on the way. It’s so important to enjoy every step we’re taking.”
Jo Salter, first female fighter jet pilot
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ENJOY THE JOURNAL…
Most of us spend our time dwelling on the past and worrying about the future. But our lives are created here at this moment. That’s where you should be living! Try keeping a journal of your experiences. It will make you realise how you’re feeling about the good stuff as well as the bad!
Try This Tips courtesy of Rachel Bamber, Life Coach, Heather Wilkinson, founder of Striding Out and Figuring Out, and Louise Gillespie-Smith, Image Consultant. |
