Set Goals to Move Your Dream Along

Curt Rosengren

Dreams of how things could be are wonderful things. They give us something to aim for, and they serve as a blueprint for what our world could become. But for far too many people, those dreams will never see the light of day. Why? Because a vital piece of the equation is missing: action.

Dream-building sounds like exotic, airy stuff, but nothing could be further from the truth. Dream-building happens in the mundane, day-after-day steps you take. Some of those steps are energizing, and some of those steps are just things you need to get done. But they all have one thing in common – they must be taken.

When you take care of the steps, the dream will take care of itself. One way to make sure you keep taking the action you need to take is setting process goals.

Process goals aren’t big-picture objectives. They’re "roll up your sleeves and make it happen" objectives. They’re about doing, rather than reaching a destination. They might focus on the actual steps you take, or they might focus on how you take them.

For example, you might look at a goal and say, “In order to reach this goal, I need to do this, this, and this.” Maybe you set a goal of making 10 phone calls a day, or writing for two hours each day.

It could also be about how you approach it. Let’s say you’re a perfectionist and you set a goal to try something new each week without being attached to the outcome. Consistently trying new things without wrapping yourself up in perfection requirement might be just the thing you need to open doors of possibility.

Take a look at your goals. What process goals do you need to set to reach them?

After years as a professional malcontent, Curt Rosengren discovered the power of passion. As a speaker, author, and coach, Rosengren helps people create careers that energize and inspire them. His book 101 Ways to Get Wild About Work and his E-book The Occupational Adventure Guide offer people tools for turning dreams into reality. Rosengren's blog, The M.A.P. Maker, explores how to craft a life of meaning, abundance, and passion.