Goals and dreams are worlds apart. Goals are dependent on action, whereas dreams are something you create in your head that can take any shape or form. Goals necessitate a great deal of focus and attention. Dreams, on the other hand, do not necessitate such concentration. You can sit and daydream for hours without doing anything about it. You reach out to goals, whereas dreams come to you. Your subconscious mind is at work in your dreams.
Let’s start by defining a goal and a dream.
Goal
A goal is grounded, rather than something we can only imagine. It refers to what you desire to accomplish in the short and long term. Goals are motivating because they require you to work toward a specific outcome.
Keeping track of your progress can help you stay on track when you have a particular goal. If you want to achieve your objectives, they must be reasonable, specific, reachable, and quantifiable.
Dream
A dream is a collection of your mind’s thoughts, mental images, emotions, and desires. It also alludes to your imagination, which is frequently linked to your future.
It’s something you aspire to acquire or complete in the future. Not only that, but it’s expressive, subjective, and undirected. It is aspirational and can inspire hope.
Differences Between Goals and Dreams
There are significant differences between goals and dreams. Some of them include:
1. Goals Take Time to Accomplish
To achieve your goals, you have to put in hard work, Time, and money. When it comes to dreams, you only need a comfy mattress, and that’s it.
2. Goals Transform You
A joyful dream’s dopamine release will make you feel good, but it will negatively impact real life.
The best thing a dream can do is inspire and fill you with optimism. Goals, on the other hand, transform you. For instance, if your goal is to learn a new skill, that’s transformation.
3. Goals are Achievable
Goals are realistic and achievable with the right mindset, while some dreams are not. For example, you might dream of having the best time of your life in an exotic destination while earning a salary that barely meets your needs. That would be far-fetched and unrealistic.
4. Goals Have a Timeframe
Anyone who is goal-oriented knows that goals are like to-do lists. Once you achieve them, you strike them off your list. Dreams, on the other hand, have no limits or endpoints.
5. Goals Can be Measured
If you intend to save a certain amount of money within a specific period, that’s a measured goal. Dreams are aspirations that aren’t specific and can’t be measured.
6. Goal Setting is a Process
Unlike a dream where all you have to do is jump in bed, goal setting is a distinct process that requires a carefully laid out plan.
7. Goals Motivate You
The best dreams can stretch your imagination. However, goals have a defined endpoint and a clear path that guides and encourages you. Goals challenge and encourage you to perform better because you can track your progress.
Dreams vs. Goals Quotes
Here are some quotes that show dissimilarities between dreams and goals:
“The distance between your dreams and reality is called action.”
“If you don’t know where you want to go, it doesn’t matter your path.”
“Daydreaming allows you to build a brand that will be consistent with your goals and dreams.”
“Good thoughts are no better than good dreams unless they are executed.”
“Dreamers are not doers.”
“Some see a weed; others see a wish.”
“Each sunrise gives hope to your dreams and light to your plans.”
“It’s easy to dream because dreams are free, but in order to actually live your dreams, you need to be able to set life and financial goals that will turn your dreams into your reality.”
Dreams vs. Goals Examples
The examples below depict the clear difference between dreams and goals:
“I will be a millionaire this year” is a dream. “I’m going to set up a business and save 30% of the income every month” that’s a goal.”
“I want to shed 10kgs in one month” is a dream. “I will go to the gym and watch my body get in shape” is a goal.
“I want to win the marathon” is a dream. “I will run 30kms every morning as part of my training schedule in preparation for the marathon” is a goal.
“I want to be an author” is a dream. “I will write 1000 words daily to improve my writing skills” is a goal.
“I want to be an astronaut” is a dream. “I will pursue a degree in computer science from next year” is a goal.
How to Achieve Your Goals
Setting a goal is the first step toward achieving it. The value of goals and their connection to success has been extensively discussed.
Now that you already understand the necessity of taking bold steps to attain your objectives let’s see what you need to do to achieve them.
To achieve your goals with ease, follow these tips. They will assist you to attain the success you desire.
1. Write Down Your Goals
Once you put your goals on paper, they become a statement of intent. That forces your subconscious mind to accept a commitment towards achieving them. It would help if you wrote down your goals at least once a day to stay focused.
2. Set a Target
You should set a deadline by which you intend to achieve your goal. Break up larger goals into manageable steps and set deadlines for each.
3. Grade Your Goals
You must write down your objectives and arrange them in the correct order. The most pressing ones should be on top of your list.
4. Change Your Attitude
Start working on your mindset even before pursuing your first goal. Develop an optimistic “glass-half-full” approach as part of the plan to attain your goals.
Read motivational books, surround yourself with like-minded individuals, and believe in your potential. At every opportunity, work towards changing your attitude. This should be a lifelong endeavor.
5. Enhance Your Skill Set
Achieving a new goal will likely demand learning new skills or undergoing personal development. Determine what new knowledge or skills you will need to acquire. Find the best place to know this information and invest sensibly to build your required assets.
6. Visualize the Goals
Take some minutes and imagine how things will be when you attain your goals. Visualization involves using your subconscious mind to attract what you desire.
7. Maintain Discipline
Discipline and your habits are the deciding factors on whether you will achieve your goals. It sets you on the path to success, albeit through minor improvements.
It’s improbable that the road to your goal’s final fulfillment will be straight and uncomplicated. Keep your energy and enthusiasm high and keep pushing forward.
8. Stay Committed
There are days when you will feel like working on the goals is not worth it or no longer make sense. That’s where commitment comes into play. You need to keep reminding yourself that you set those goals for a purpose.
Make a daily commitment to do at least one action to help you get closer to your goal. Don’t stop moving forward until you’ve reached your desired outcome.
9. Review Your Goals Regularly
This applies to long-term goals. Because the environment and circumstances keep changing, you have to adapt to suit the situation. Review your goals regularly to stay on course and adjust accordingly.
10. Reward Yourself
After you finally achieve your goal, look back with satisfaction and reward yourself. This will program your subconscious mind to only focus on the activities that produce results.
After that, set the next goal and take it a notch higher by making it more challenging.
How to Turn Dreams into Goals
Have you ever wondered how dreams become goals and whether it’s possible? Yes, it’s possible to build and live the life you dream of, but it requires massive action.
The following tips will help you turn your dreams into goals:
1. Be Open-Minded
To build the life you dream of, you must be open-minded to face the challenges you encounter along your way to success. It would help if you never shied away from new opportunities in your quest to achieve your goals.
2. Plan Ahead
Your dreams act as vessels in which your plans are stored. If you intend to achieve your goals, never leave your fate to destiny.
Every day, you should grow and take steps. Even if your movement is slow, it is still preferable to procrastination and inaction. You should plan ahead of time to ensure you have everything mapped out.
3. Seek Inspiration
Even though you’ve had a specific dream for a long time and have a strong desire to see it, sometimes external circumstances force us to abandon it in favor of other options.
Keeping your dream alive is vital to achieving your goals. Seek inspiration from either successful people or friends who have made it to where you aspire to be.
Check your written goals regularly to ensure you are on track to achieving your goals.
4. Keep Going
Keeping the momentum rolling is the most critical part of completing a huge goal. Every step you take towards realizing your great desire, you gain momentum and move closer to your destination. Once you have the momentum, you are bound to succeed.
Types of Goal Setting
The following are types of goals that you can set depending on your priorities;
1. Financial Goals
Everyone wants to make more money. To attain your financial goals, you have to adjust your budget, change your spending habits, and find ways of making more money.
Setting up financial goals can help you pay off debts, buy a house or save towards retirement.
2. Spiritual Goals
These could be religious objectives for people of any faith. They could be objectives that enable you to contribute to society positively. Any aspirations that are not focused on yourself fall into this category. Examples of spiritual goals include; becoming a church elder, joining a prayer group, and meditating.
3. Educational Goals
Educational goals are aimed at developing your career. They differ from one career to the other. Such goals achieve specific aspects of your career or job.
4. Relationship Goals
Whether you are dating, engaged, newlywed, or married for 20 years, you are probably planning for the future. If you want your relationship to last, you must discuss and establish specific relationship goals.
Some relationship goals include getting married, having children, and dedicating Time alone with your spouse or child.
5. Physical and Health Goals
These are goals aimed at maintaining physical fitness and keeping your body healthy by eating balanced diets, exercising frequently, and ensuring your immune system operates at peak condition.
6. Personal Development Goals
Personal development goals are those that help you grow as a person. Examples include writing a book, learning foreign languages, starting a blog, and learning new skills. Such goals make you a better person.
7. Career Goals
Career goals come to most people’s minds when they think of goal-setting activities.
Common career goals include getting a promotion, starting a side hustle, developing soft skills, and getting accolades.
Types of Time-based Goals
The amount of time you give yourself to attain specific goals has a significant impact on the type of goal you set.
Here are four types of time-based goals:
1. Steppingstone Goals
These can be termed transactional goals. They are the building blocks of short-term goals. Steppingstone goals set you up to attain more meaningful goals. Examples include; paying off debts, limiting expenses, and taking money management classes.
2. Short Term Goals
These mostly take between a month and a year. These goals aim to propel you to reach your long-term goals. Short-term goals can be broken into weekly or daily goals.
For instance, if saving is your short-term goal, you could consider paying off credit cards to get rid of interest.
3. Long-term Goals
These have specific time limits, such as five or ten years. Anyone serious about achieving a goal should set a long-term objective that will take many years to complete and then employ a succession of short-term team goals to get there.
4. Lifetime Goals
Lifetime goals take between a year and your entire life to achieve. How do you see yourself in the future? What have you achieved? Such are the questions you ask yourself when setting up lifetime goals.
These goals help you transform into the person you want to be in the future.
8 Steps on How to Define and Work Towards Your Goals
Sometimes defining your goal and sticking to your strategy can be challenging. The following tips will help you develop goals and set an actionable plan on how to achieve them.
Step 1: Plan Around Your Purpose
First, you need to know what you intend to do and why it’s important to you. Then you need to find out the resources you will require, who you need to tag along with, and the difference that goal will make in your life.
Step 2: Use the STAR Method
Start by ensuring you strongly feel your goal. After connecting to your plan, use the theater of the mind to visualize yourself attaining the goal.
This is where you ask yourself whether your goal is achievable. Lastly, ensure the plan is ridiculously hard to achieve.
Step 3: Envision Your Future
Consider the kind of future you’d wish to live in. It’s much easier to construct a path to where you want to go once you’re sure where you are headed, whether it’s a professional or personal objective.
Step 4: Use Visualization
Take Time to stand back and reflect on the route you’re currently on, and then identify those ambitions, aspirations, or ideas that you have not been able to pursue.
Step 5: Add Important Things to Your Calendar
Make a list of the most critical events in your life and put them on your calendar. What are non-negotiable in your life? What habits are essential to your happiness and sanity in the short and long term?
Step 6: Silence the Noise and Go Inward
Don’t set goals based on how things will make you look. Instead, create them on how they will make you feel.
While pursuing your goals, the inward feeling you get motivates you to keep going.
Step 7: Define Your SMART goals
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and time based goals will help you define your goals. A journey map like this will include particular milestones to attain a larger purpose and time frames.
Step 8: Have a Roadmap
Setting out on a journey to achieve your goals without a roadmap exposes you to distractions and unnecessary detours.
Seek clarity on where you are and where you intend to go.
You may believe that obtaining your final objective is the peak of success, but as you go through these micro triumphs, you will understand that it was never about the end goal but rather about the person you become at the end.
Why Dreams and Goals are Important
Pursuing what you desire or want can bring satisfaction and meaning to your life. Doing what you enjoy has been demonstrated to boost a person’s happiness.
This is due to the sense of accomplishment and purpose that pursuing your aspirations provides.
Dreams and goals teach you about failures, determination, and perseverance. It’s not easy to accomplish your objectives. Failure in life is a necessary learning experience that everyone goes through.
Dreams and goals bring enthusiasm. We all need a place to go and something in which to believe. Dreams serve as anchors that help us stay on track in life.
We may not have the same ambition we had as children, new experiences might foster different passions, but we still have goals.
Student Dreams and Goals
Students of all ages can develop personal goals to assist them in achieving academic and life success.
The following are examples of personal goals for students:
1. Finish Homework Early
Students can benefit from the objective of finishing homework early by learning to be proactive and plan ahead of time. Being proactive can assist children in learning to prepare for any eventuality and reduce stress. While the aim is related to education, it is also a personal goal because the teacher does not demand or require it.
2. Keep My Locker Organized
Keeping your locker neat does help you in school but also helps you get organized in life. Keeping your locker clean and having an organizational system shows respect for your own space and helps save you time.
3. Find a Good Study System
Understanding how your brain works and which tactics are most effective for you can help you in your professional and personal lives. Experimenting with various study systems to find the one that works best for you is a terrific way to learn about yourself and focus on your strengths.
4. Get a Mentor
When you proceed to college, it’s advisable to look for a mentor. Mentors can assist you in learning more about the position you aspire to hold one day. They can provide you with ideas and guidance on landing a particular type of job.
Seeking advice from a mentor can aid your career development and teach you essential networking skills that you can use for the rest of your life.
Bottom Line
While goals and dreams might be dissimilar, they are both interconnected. Goals require a source of nourishment, whereas dreams spark goals. You must learn to be both a dreamer and a goal-setter if you want to achieve outcomes in your life and become action-oriented.
