How to Follow Your Dreams (& make them come true)

There are those who stopped searching, those that stopped believing, those who vanished in the dark - forever - never to return again. Are you one of those people?

Come back.

Come back to your dreams.

There is so much magic and wonder waiting for you.

The path is just around the corner.

Follow it.

Follow the path to your dreams..

1. Follow YOUR dreams, not others: Well duh, right? Yet sooo many people find themselves chasing what someone else wants or has told them to want. i.e people in relationships, well meaning parents etc. NO! No more! Get your own damn dream :P No but seriously, I hope you already have one. You gotta pursue what your gut wants.


2. Know that you're good enough to have your dream: So like, there's a lot of you out there who believe you don't actually deserve what you want. Wtf is that about? Um, you do, you always did, stop making excuses you dork. You're good enough. Always were. And I need you to believe it. 


3. Get excited about beginning: The beginning is the best bit! Everything's new and exciting, you get treated pretty special too and things just seem to fall into place easily to help you get on your track. 


4. Ignore the pessimists, critics and haters: When you're out there with your armor, your shield and your swords - you're always going to come across some bastard who wants to fight. Because it can't just be all rainbows and bunnies, can it? Some will say you shouldn't be there, others will hold you back, some will try to suck the life out of you - some will succeed. You gotta practice what I call, selective ignorance. Works like a charm.


5. Create a personal incantation: Like an actual pump yourself up pep-talk.


6. Stop comparing yourself to others: It's hard, I know. Your ex bestie just seems to have everything falling effortlessly into her lap, or so it seems from the outside. Just go do something else that gets your mind off it, cause it's a waste of time focusing your attention on something you can't change. Use those energy sources for YOUR shit, your dream, your path. Not someone elses. Wtf!?


7. Create a 'Dreams & Goals' Journal: Not only is it fun to have something to create, design and take with you everywhere but it's always a BOAT LOAD of fun to track your progress and have that constant positive reinforcement of your goals and that they are 100% real and valid. If that's too much of a hassle, use post-it notes and annoyingly stick em' up everywhere.


8. Write BIG clear goals: Write your goals out in your journal and make sure they are clear, specific and measurable. Think of how much and by when? Combine the SMART and BHAG goals and you've got a strong Mojito for success.


9. Create a Daily & Weekly Task List: Buy or create your own weekly calender with small tasks you can complete throughout the week towards your dream. Whether it's saving for your big OE or studying monologues for the theatre show you're in. Make sure you have at least 1 thing each day to work towards. Although it seems small to begin with, once you add them all up, you realize it's quite a big task you've completed.


10. Create your own motivation blueprint: Whatever it is that you believe that makes you work harder, better, faster, stronger - DO IT. This can be anything from having a specific ritual that you do each day like playing tennis, gardening or running naked around the house. Just do it.


11. Celebrate the small accomplishments: I'm all about celebrating the little pleasures, so it's no different here. Celebrate the little stepping stones in your journey to success. It's one of the most liberating things you can do for yourself and your sanity.


12. Find others just like you: No matter where you are or how much you believe you are on your own - this is a lie. There are maaaaaaaaaany others just like you who are pursuing their dreams and who want to know YOU. Search for facebook and linkedin groups, find inspirational people on twitter to follow, look in your local newspapers and magazines and read the local-spotlight articles, get in touch with those people who sound like someone you'd like to know. There's a huge big world out there just dying for you to dip your toes in, so let's get to it shall we?


13. Make a dream board on Pinterest: Getting creative is one of the funnest things about following your dreams. If you've got a Pinterest account, create for yourself a new board on your Dreams. Then search around on pinterest and google and find yourself inspirational images that show the essence of your dream to you. Then look at the board as much as you can and continue to add to it as your goal progresses on and gets bigger.


14. Study a role model you aspire to be like: Find someone that inspires you to be better. Someone who has morals, ethics and values that resonate with you and what you'd like to have. Study their success strategy, find out what they did, write to them, praise them and soon you will find yourself becoming someone as great as them - if not better.


15. Learn enthusiasm and confidence: Making your dreams come true is no doubt going to require some help from other people, directly or indirectly. To attract the right people to help you get there you need to start oozing enthusiasm, positivity and confidence - with a sneaky dash of smartass charm. We've all heard the saying 'fake it till you make it' and in this case it is most definitely true!


16. Use Visualization: Go a few years ahead from now and imagine where you will be after you've pursued your passions after all this time. How do you feel? Where are you? Who is with you? What can you smell? Taste? See? Go there and then rewind it back through the years to the present moment. While you're coming back, see the steps you took to get there. Now go out and take that action!


17. Open your heart and be authentic: Let your authenticity and creativity shine through with an open heart. It does amazing things for you.


18. Stay true to yourself: Don't be that guy who gets all famous and turns into a douche bag. Because once you've obtained that title, it's really hard to shake. So no matter what happens, how much success you obtain or who you know - ALWAYS stay true to who you are. Don't get blinded by the shiny pennies that will dazzle their way in front of you. Remember your purpose, remember your passion and remember who you really are.


19. Practice gratitude: It's not a hard task to say 'thank you' and mean it. Doesn't require much time or energy from you. Get thankful for everything that you have, that you've had and that you're going to have. This is the actual secret recipe to getting every single thing you want. But the trick is, you must FEEL the gratitude. Feel it in your heart. It really does make you happier, thus easier to keep pursuing your dream.


20. Become the apprentice once again: Educate yourself, learn new things, read books that speak to you, take courses that resonate with your desires, learn about those places you always wanted to go. Don't be afraid to become the student once again. Personal growth is the key to a fulfilled life.


21. Spread the word: You never know who is out there who might have the perfect opportunity waiting for you or perhaps is dying to be a big part of your support system. You have to let others help you.