There’s a lot of emphasis among entrepreneurs today on visualizing where you want to be, thinking positively, setting intentions, and believing your golden future is possible. While I can’t disagree (I too teach that every great success story starts with a clear and compelling vision), I can’t help but wonder if this emphasis sometimes hurts our chances of true success.
It struck me this morning that there is a very big difference between a dream and fantasy. The first is rooted in reality and attainable if you do the work. The second is neither reality-based nor achievable.
Let’s say, for instance, that I long to be a world-famous figure skater (don’t worry, this is purely an analogy). Now that’s not exactly based in reality to begin with. It’s a field dominated by the young and not something people start at my age. Ignoring that reality, I spend all my time day-dreaming what it will be like to win that gold medal until I can literally feel the weight of it settling around my neck. Next, I jump immediately into a big competition, believing the best, only to wind up laughed off the ice. Not having the necessary elements to succeed (like starting at a young age) coupled with not even doing the work needed to perfect the art… ha, of course this is just fantasy!!
Okay, so let’s say I set my heart on being a local singer instead. I’ve been told I actually have a pretty decent singing voice and can carry a tune, and even at my age, it is technically feasible to achieve. Dream or fantasy? It all depends on whether I’m willing to do the work. If I don’t take voice lessons, practice intensively, and take the necessary steps to actually get out there and sing, it’s still going to be just a fantasy.
Bottom line… it takes work to realize a dream! As much as we like to hope, there are no magic pills, silver bullets, perfect systems, or true overnight success stories. And if you ever find someone who appears to be, I guarantee there’s more to the story than meets the eye.
Now I know you’re probably nodding your head and agreeing with me. We all know this intellectually. Yet how many times do we entrepreneurs jump on the bandwagon with the latest new training program promising the system that will catapult us to instant stardom?
Yep, I’m speaking as someone who’s been there, done that. I have regretfully, at times, spent more effort chasing fantasies than realizing dreams. Ouch!
Whenever someone is struggling to achieve the results they desire, I guarantee there is a fantasy showing up somewhere in there. If this is you right now in your business, ask yourself a couple questions…
1. Is this goal or desired outcome grounded in reality? If all the right elements are present and you do the work, can this dream actually come true? If not, it’s like my figure-skating analogy… pure fantasy. You may as well ditch the idea right now, instead of wasting a minute more of your non-renewable time and energy chasing the impossible.
2. Once you’ve determined that this is indeed an achievable dream instead of a fantasy, are the necessary elements for success at your disposal? If not immediately handy, can you secure these elements? And are you willing to do the hard work necessary to turn this dream into a reality?
About Laura Ege