What is the meaning of "a goal is a dream with a deadline"?

 

Have you ever really declared your dream? What do you really stand for in life? What is most important to you? If you could create your life any way you wanted, what would it look like? I heard a quote recently that I liked –

It was that a goal is a dream with a deadline.

I think it was Napoleon Hill who said that. I love it. I think sometimes dreams by definition seem a bit out there in the realm of impossibility. As if something can be a dream or a reality but not both. And yet, our purpose in life is to fulfill our dreams, right? Otherwise what are we doing here?

I like the notion that goals can help bring our dreams to life by breaking them down into manageable parts, and by creating an actual plan. It’s clear based on research that people who write down their goals are much more likely to achieve them.

I’ve typically been one to write down my goals and I can vouch for the power of it. My friend Kim and I sit down together over Christmas/ New Year and review the past year’s goals and set new ones for the upcoming year. I have goals for physical health, finances, business, spiritual life, etc. I think it’s important to have goals for various aspects of life, not just business/ financial goals.

I also think it’s helpful to keep going back and dreaming, then connecting those dreams to our life by the process of setting goals.

My dream is to live a life of freedom, influence and inspiration. Freedom to me means not only financial freedom, the freedom that comes from having great health, and also freedom to travel extensively and even live abroad. Influence and inspiration represent to me the ability to teach, share, inspire and support – in the realm of health, natural living and parenting. This also applies to my private practice where I am constantly supporting, inspiring and guiding people towards better health. This blog for me fits all of those things – I can write from anywhere, and my purpose in writing this blog is to educate and inspire.

There are still many goals that I have that will move me closer to the life of freedom that I’m committed to. I write as many of them down as possible, as I know that that commitment sets something into play that brings me closer to fulfilling them.

Dreams are attainable, and goals are the way to get there. Everything must be broken down into manageable parts or often it won’t happen. I outline annual goals, but then also goals for this month, and also goals for each day. Sometimes that “goals” list looks more like a “to do” list, but that’s the way it works for me. It’s the little “to do’s”, or tasks, that if well selected, bring us towards our goals. Our goals then move us towards our dreams.

I think having dreams and the process of dreaming are great things. They allow creativity to flow and limitless ideas to bubble up. But dreaming without action is just that – dreaming. I believe setting goals is the bridge between coming up with your dreams, and moving them to fruition. And the mundane tasks that you choose to do, or not do, every single day is the actual vehicle, as small and insignificant as they seem at the time.

The end of the year is just around the corner, and coming into the New Year is a great time to set goals for the year ahead. But goal setting can be done at any time.

Remember, goals are dreams with a deadline. So let’s make it happen and we can be in the statistics of those who actually live the life they dream of.