We have all heard it before, what do you want to be when you grow up? Or the always present motivational saying, keep chasing and never give up on your dreams son. And while we have great big dreams there will always be the ones who tell you that your dreams are too big, or won’t come true, or you might want to dream to be something else.
Big dreams take the same amount of brain effort as small dreams, so why not dream big. Even more, if your dreams aren’t criticized then they’re probably not big enough.
When I heard this as a young baseball player who dreamed about playing for the Baltimore Orioles I took it to heart and never stopped dreaming and pursing that dream. But what I didn’t understand or even realize was the character traits and work ethic I was building. Having gone from that little boy who dreamed of playing for the Orioles to being a 16th rd drafter pick of the Baltimore Orioles I now realize how important it is to have a dream but more importantly I realize what chasing your dream can do.
Having a dream is the most important aspect to life. Dreams do a multitude of things for us which includes building character traits that will eventually lead us to success. More importantly dreams keep us from getting lost in the chaos that the world around us creates.
What I have learned through the course of my short life is this: Dreams provide us with a sense of purpose that helps guide our actions that will lead us to a rewarding and fruitful life. Dreams create a Vision; this Vision creates Goals; those Goals provide us with Direction. And with no direction you will eventually get lost.
Once your dream has been established you eventually build a vision, which is the person that you see yourself becoming. Once this vision is created now is the time you start building character and a work ethic that will follow you for the rest of your life. Because at this point you know who you want to be, you see where your headed and want to go, and now you start to set goals that you want to achieve.
On your path to reaching your goals is where your character and work ethic is developed. In order to reach your goals, you’re going to have to learn to make sacrifices and it’s within these sacrifices where character is built. The greatest and hardest sacrifice you’re going to have to make is who you surround yourself with which includes eliminating people out of your life. And these people may be the closest to you. When facing tough decisions seek God’s counsel while striving towards your goals. It will keep you aligned with having great character and provide you with the strength and courage it takes to those tough decisions.
On your path to achieving your goals the following are some of the most important character traits you will develop, and what I have found is that without possessing these traits your chances of achieving your goals are slim.
- Perseverance/Resiliency
- Commitment/Dedication
- Integrity
- Accountability
At the same time you’re setting your goals and envisioning yourself achieving those goals, you are mapping out the directions you need to take to living your dream. The directions you will need to take are laid out in front of you by the decisions you make. Your decisions, based on your character and work ethic, will be the compass that you will follow on the journey to making your dream a reality.
My questions for you is, are you developing the right compass and is your current compass leading you to your dream? Chasing your dream means tough decisions have to be made and self-reflection is a must. Take the time to reflect on who and where you are to make sure your character and goals are aligned with the actions your taking.
God Bless!
Andy Schindling 