Dreams, Visions and Goals: Who Knows the Difference?

Have you ever felt the vague memory of a dream lingering like the shadow of a setting sun?  It’s there, you see it, but it seems to be slowly slipping away.  The thought of that dream makes your heart sing, but the grind of life, the fear of the unknown, and the inescapable safety of the dream world keeps it a hopeful vapor.

I heard evangelist Steve Hale speak recently, and for the first time, the difference between a dream, a vision, and a goal crystallized in my mind.  My dream is to motivate women and girls by transparently sharing my evolutionary journey.  My vision is a business plan for a motivational speaking and writing business that offers smart, articulate authenticity.  My goals are to book one paid speaking engagement a month and rewrite my first book by the end of April.  For me, that has been the lingering shadow that sits beside me in my honest quiet moments.

Most of us reside in the dream phase and never make it to a vision.  For me it’s because it’s safe to keep it there as an inspiring reminder that I never really have to do anything about.  It’s like the picture we cut out of a magazine or make into a screensaver of that dream house, vacation, or car.  It makes you smile to look at it, but then you get to fold it back up and go back to regular life.  You don’t have to try, risk perceived failure, or even be uncomfortable.  You just get to be inspired from a distance, safe and secure in the comfort of your everyday life.

So here, in the early part of this new year, I have only one question.  Are you okay with taking your dream out when you get tired of the grind and worn down by the routine and looking at the faded worn image of it?  Or are you ready to take steps to turn it into a vision?  Perhaps maybe you’ve already made the leap to vision but have grounded yourself safely in keeping it on the page and not set specific measurable goals to achieve it. 

Now the moment of truth: Stop looking to your dream for action-less inspiration.   Instead, pull out your dream for focused, action-inspiring motivation.

Know that “you, in fact, have a power hard-wired into you far greater than you realize: the power to create.”

So what’s your dream?  Share it with us; we’ll hold you accountable.