I had a conversation with an individual last week. I asked them about their goals, and they proceeded to list many achievements they wished to accomplish. When I asked, what was their action plan, it was clear they did not have one. They were taking no actions that would help them move closer to their goals.
As I continued to dig deeper, it was apparent that they only had dreams, not goals.
I think there is a distinction between the two. If it is a real tangible goal, then you should have actions defined that need to be taken to complete the goal. If you don’t, then you have only a dream, an unreachable dream.
If someone defined their goal to be reading twenty-five books in 2014, and they were taking the time to read a book every two weeks or so, they have an achievable goal. But if they had that same goal, and read no books in January or February, then it appears unachievable.
Also a goal needs to have some boundaries. Using the same example, if you said your goal was to read twenty-five books, but you did not specify in 2014, then your goal is not clear.
These are two important things to consider when defining your goals. Is the goal tangible and measurable? Have you defined and taken actions to get started?
Dreams help you achieve the unachievable, but only if you turn them into goals. Follow your dreams, by taking actions.