Chapter Three

Dream Big

We all have dreams in our lives. A few people achieve them while many fail. It is basically because a dream should not be confused with a daydream. A dream is positive and it moves us forward, encouraging us to act, whereas a daydream doesn’t induce us to any action; it is a mere wish. When we dream, it must be big and it ought to motivate us.

Age and Dreams

It is true that the youth dream big as they want to achieve many things in their lives. However, we may not find the same level of dreams in the middle-aged and the old people. It is basically because the young people look at the future while the middle-aged people look at the present, and the old people look at the past. Not having faced any failures, the youth often look at life as a rosy picture and achieve a lot in most of the cases. They always think that everything is possible in this world. As man encounters several challenges and the responsibilities increase, he tends to realize the brutal realities of life and gradually there is a decrease in the degree of dreaming big. In the case of old people, they must have tried enough in their lives and encountered several setbacks. Therefore, there is a further decrease in the degree of dreaming big. Besides, age doesn’t support them. However, we also find exceptions where people have dreamt and achieved a lot irrespective of age, like Colonel Sanders who founded KFC in his old age.

Tony’s Dream

Tony was an average student in a university. He wanted to be a university topper. He worked hard but failed to be a topper. When he analysed what had gone wrong, he realized that he worked hard only when the examinations were around the corner. From the next year onwards, he worked harder from day one, taking notes in the classroom in each class and referring to these notes at home every day. It helped him prepare thoroughly on all subjects regularly. He also referred to books before the delivery of lectures, and began clarifying the doubts within the classroom from the faculty. It helped him to be more proactive with his learning and he was able to assimilate all subjects promptly. This strategy of updating his knowledge regularly helped him and, finally, he excelled as the topper in the university. From this story, it is clear that one has to dream big and follow-up regularly with action to achieve the desired outcomes.

Dream Big—A Case Study

Ken was a young boy who lived in a small village. He faced financial hardships at home. However, he always wanted to do something great. He joined the military to support his family and started his education. By the time he completed his contract with the military, he had acquired a couple of qualifications. Then he realized that he had the talent for teaching. Therefore, he joined as a faculty member in an educational institution and started sharing his knowledge. He also authored articles in his area of interest. Gradually, he authored books and became a successful author globally with a million books sold. From this case study, it is clear that when a person dreams big he can achieve anything in his life.

Tips to Dream Big

Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Be clear about your dreams first so that you are focused.
• Put in consistent and regular efforts.
• Be prepared to take risks in your life.
• Be prepared for distractions as things often don’t go the way you may have planned.
• Focus more on efforts and less on results.
• Don’t bother about short-term setbacks.
• Remember that you cannot accomplish your dreams overnight. You have to roll out a blueprint and work on it consistently.

3–5–7–10 Success Principle

Where do you see yourself five years from now? Dream and imagine yourself and you will get several thoughts covering your personal, professional and social life. Capture those thoughts and put them in writing as it is vital to ink rather than to think, to accomplish your dreams. Shortlist your thoughts based on your passion and priorities and prepare a to-do list. If you want to accomplish your dreams you need to set proper priorities and work on them regularly. For instance, if you work in your dream domain for 3 years continuously, you will acquire mastery and achieve recognition. If you extend your efforts up to 5 years, you will establish your credentials and carve a niche for yourself at the regional level. If you further extend your efforts up to 7 years, you will be able to establish your brand at a broader level. Finally, if you extend your efforts for 10 years continuously, you will be able to position and brand yourself at the international level. That is the power of writing and executing dreams!

To aim low is a crime. Hence, always dream big and work regularly to achieve all-round success in your life. Remember what Anatole France said, ‘To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe’. Your dreams are directly proportional to your success. As long as you dream you live your life well. The day you stop dreaming, your life comes to a grinding halt. Malcolm Forbes rightly said, ‘When you cease to dream you cease to live’. The world would have remained stagnant if people stopped dreaming. The world would not have advanced if people stopped dreaming. Therefore, dream for your benefit as well as for the benefit of society.