The moment I saw this phrase for the first time, it all made sense.
I grew up in a family that LOVED goals. Every year we set goals as a family and individually. Every year we reviewed our goals from the previous year.
To be honest, I really didn’t get the whole goal thing.
A goal is a great concept—you set a goal of something you want to accomplish. Sounds easy right? So every year I would set a couple of goals (I don’t remember anymore what my goals were—my goal at 10 years old was probably to make it to the next grade) Then I would forget about them until the next year.
It never clicked for me HOW you reached a goal. Do you wish for it? Hope for it? Think about it enough so it comes true by the power of thought? No, nope and definitely not. As I got older I learned you had to have a plan to achieve your goals.
Oh great, now I need a goal AND a plan? Sounds exhausting and boring much too type-A for my free spirit.
Needless to say, that never went very far either.
So I continued to float through life, kind of like a fishing bobber. Riding the waves, trying not to get tangled, popping back up after going underwater. And then I saw this phrase.
That’s what a goal is?
A dream with a deadline.
Well I’ll be dipped—I have A LOT of dreams. I’ve been dreaming my whole life.
In contrast to the stuffiness and boredom of “goals” and “plans”, putting deadlines on my dreams is something I can get on board with—in fact, I’m excited about it. I’m itching to drop everything else and start.
It’s amazing how much a simple adjustment in perspective can change everything.
I’m off to make my dreams into goals. I can’t wait – this is so much fun!
What’s your dream? (Pretty Woman anyone?)
Leave me a note with one of your dreams – trust me this is going to be fun!
