Should You Dream BIG or Be More Realistic?

We had vivid imaginations as children. As an adult, have you lost some of that child-like ability to imagine the future?
Is the ability to dream big a valuable goal setting / achieving skill or an unrealistic time waster?
When it comes to setting and achieving goals, I often see coaching clients divided into two groups – the dreamers and the realists. The dreamers are reaching for the stars and the realists are going for the sure thing. Which is the best approach for setting and achieving goals? In my opinion it is a combination of both.
Here’s what I believe:
The Dreamers: It is an asset to be able to focus on the future. To vividly see what you want and to picture how you’re going to achieve it. Sometimes though, the dreamers don’t realize their limitations. On the positive side, the dreamers are excellent at creating goal achieving affirmations and visualizations.
The Realists: They know their strength and weaknesses. They have a firm grasp on what works and what doesn’t work. Often though, they will stop themselves from coming out of their preconceived comfort zone. The realist is excellent at mapping out step-by-step and day-by-day plans for achieving their goals.
The Realistic Dreamer: They have a down to earth ability to dream big and bold. The realistic dreamer knows how to set goals that stretch beyond their current comfort zone and yet, they don’t find themselves getting discouraged with frustrating and unworkable expectations.
Here are a few examples:
The Dreamer: A five-foot five adult person whose goal is to stretch and become a six feet seven professional basketball player is unrealistic. A more realistic goal may be to play basketball for fun and also spend time coaching others who love the game.
The Realist: The middle-aged mother who wants to go back to school but is sure that she has lost her edge. She’s been out of school for many years and refuses to enrol in college classes. A more realistic approach would be to take one class at the local community college or an adult education course to help her feel more comfortable learning and growing within a structured environment.
The Realistic Dreamer: The woman in business who decides to expand her business into a foreign country although she has never been outside of the United Kingdom. She develops a business plan and then seeks out a mentor or coach who is knowledgeable in foreign commerce. This entrepreneur reads, learns and begins growing toward her dream one positive step at a time.
A realistic dreamer does not allow uncertainty or insecurity to stop them from setting goals. They do though; realize that coming out of a comfort zone means seeking out advice, help and support.
Becoming a realistic dreamer is about knowing what you want to achieve, why you want to achieve it and being able to map out a viable and doable plan of action. Combining the child-like ability to dream with a realistic assessment of what can be done is a powerful and extremely valuable goal achieving skill.

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