Pursuing your dreams may sound grandiose, but in reality, a dream unfolds day by day, and step by step. To make sure you’re taking those steps and not getting in your own way, here are two questions to ask yourself on a regular basis:
What do I need to do that I’m not doing?
So often we get blocked from our dreams by one simple mistake—we’re not taking the steps we need to take to get there. This might be because we haven’t identified the steps we need to take, or because we’re procrastinating. Either way, this question will shine a light on the action you need to take, but aren’t.
What am I doing that I need to stop?
Another way of looking at this question is, “How am I getting in my own way?” Maybe you’re consistently taking a negative view of the possibilities. Perhaps you find yourself spending too much time watching TV and not enough time working towards what you really want. Or it could be that your diet is so packed with junk food that you have no energy to do anything but come home at the end of the day and collapse.
Once you have identified the things you need to start and the things you need to stop, take action. Pick one thing and do it, and pick one thing and stop. Make these questions a part of your weekly routine—or, better yet, daily—and act on the answers.
None of this is rocket science. It’s almost so simple as to be insulting. Except for this: Most people aren’t doing it.
Try an experiment. For the next month, ask these questions at least weekly and act on the answers. If you find the results worthwhile, try it for another month.
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.
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