7 Steps to Fulfilling and Living out Your Dream By Lampe Omoyele

  

“Four steps to achievement: plan purposefully. Prepare prayerfully. Proceed positively. Pursue persistently” (William A. Ward)

Quote above by William Ward captures succinctly some of what is required to fulfil ones dream in career or other aspects of life. We all have dreams, hopes and desires. Fulfilling them brings satisfaction and happiness. Non-achievement can lead to frustration and depression. An unrealised dream could feel like a nightmare.

To help us on the way to living our dreams, here are some pointers building on Ward’s quotation.

1.  Put your dream on paper.

Write down the vision clearly inscribe it on tablets, so one may easily read it (Habakkuk 2:2).

Putting it on paper helps to clarify your dream and focus on it. It helps motivation levels if the dream is linked to a compelling purpose. Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech was tied to a high purpose.

2. Place your dream in God’s hand

Pray for understanding, wisdom and guidance from the Lord.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path (Proverbs 3:5-6).

3.  Plot the Path. 

Develop the road-map or plan to achieve your goals. Success is hardly achieved by accident. Even gamblers and lottery players have some kind of plan. A well-thought through plan, divided into manageable parts and milestones, increases the chances of success.

Having charted the path, commit the plan to God, trusting Him to bring it to pass.

To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue. Commit to the Lord whatever you do and he will establish your plans (Proverbs 16:1,3).

4.  Be diligent: Work the Plan

To achieve your dream, you must work your plan, or in other words, put your plan to work.

Parodying a certain mosquito repellent advert, kill procrastination dead! Procrastination is not only the thief of time, it’s a killer of dreams.

5.  Walk through the valleys

My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1: 2-4).  In trying times, keep going, persevere. Although one tree may not make a forest, one tree can start a forest. Remember, you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you! Joseph ‘the dreamer’ went through the pit and prison before the fulfilment of the dreams he had. Through trials and temptations, keep your head and keep your eyes on the ball. Stay focussed on your dream not the obstacles. Encourage yourself in the Lord. The Bible contains fuel to help you through difficult times as you drive to live your dream. Psalm 37 is a good place to start.

6.  Have helping hands to hold

It helps to have people around you that act as mentors, sounding boards, sharpening irons or encouragers. Do not feel that you are in it alone or that no one else has gone through what you might go through.

7. Don’t stop praying

Every step of the way, keep praying and fix your eyes upon Jesus.

May your dreams come true!