Three People Who Help Make Your Dream a Reality

Photo by RUN 4 FFWPU

Do you have a dream that never gets out of your mind? You know the one—it’s that goal you will achieve “someday.” It might be running a marathon, asking for a promotion or starting that side hustle. It’s easy to let it simmer inside and not make progress on it, but I doubt that’s what you really want. It’s in your mind for a reason, and it’s time to make it a reality. The question is, how do you do that? The answer lies in the people with whom you surround yourself. To reach the goals percolating in your mind, you need to bring onboard some key individuals who will push you forward on the path to achieve success.

Remember when you were in high school and your parents were so concerned about whom you spent time with? They might not have liked your choice in friends, and they let you know it—they wanted you to surround yourself with good influences to keep you on the right track. These days, we can expand that notion to what we allow ourselves to view and be a part of on social media. If you are ready to move your dream into reality, make sure you identify or add these people to your life: The Advocate, The Accountability Partner and The Achiever. They will form the sphere of influence that you need to help you reach your “someday” goal.

The Advocate

First, you need to find someone who believes you can do what you want to set out to do. They see possibility and can help you push through the barriers you might encounter. It’s easy to say you can’t do something—that’s why that dream is still in your mind, right? Maybe you use softer words so it doesn’t sound so harsh, but something is holding you back, and someone who tells you your goal is possible moves you in the right direction. You hear this story a lot with high achievers who have overcome obstacles. Someone believed in them, knew it was possible for them to reach their dream of completing the marathon, and they did just that.

Along with believing your goal is possible, The Advocate provides you with support and encouragement. We underestimate our need for validation and approval. We think we can go it alone and keep working toward our goal, yet a simple “You got this” from someone goes a long way. A friend told me the owners of her company don’t believe in praising employees for doing tasks that fall within their job description. Instead, they only offer praise for going above and beyond those responsibilities. While this philosophy makes sense to the owners, their company’s high employee turnover rate tells a different story. When reaching for our someday dream, having someone give us props for taking the first step motivates us to take the next and to keep on going.

The Accountability Partner

Encouragement can keep us motivated, but having someone hold you accountable really moves the needle on a desired outcome. We’ve all experienced this when we have a deadline to reach and suddenly, the task gets done because we don’t have a choice not to. Setting up this accountability structure on our own is key when we want to accomplish a goal without a strict deadline. If you want to cross the finish line running a half-marathon, but it seems out of reach, consider hiring a personal trainer or joining a local running club. The idea of someone waiting for you to show up each Tuesday morning and still having to pay for your session if you don’t make it, gets you out of bed on days that don’t seem ideal to hit the pavement. If you’re looking for a promotion or the courage to ask for a raise, an executive coach might provide the weekly check-in that you need to build your courage to make a pitch to your boss for a higher salary. Your new paycheck might even cover the cost to hire your coach as well!

The Achiever

The last person, and perhaps the most important, to have in your circle is someone who has accomplished their dream. They have been in your shoes and now stand where you want to be. They have wisdom on how to persevere when something seems unattainable, and they represent the end goal. The two of you may have vastly different dreams, but the fact they reached their summit means you can, too. Kind of like the inspiration you feel when your next-door neighbor finishes law school all while working full-time and raising young children. Accomplishing that big task suddenly seems possible to you when before it seemed unattainable.

With your core people in place, you have the foundation set to move your dream into reality. When the times get tough, you have people to call or run to when you don’t think you can continue. It’s like running that 5K or half-marathon, some miles are harder than others, and that’s the place where your supporters choose to stand and encourage you on to the finish line. These three people will push you forward and cheer you on as you move up the mountain to the goal that at one time just existed in your mind.