The What, Why, & How to Achieving Your Dreams
Sometimes what lives in our hearts doesn’t make sense when we say it out loud. It’s tough to articulate what we want, what we need, and what we hope to achieve in life. It’s clear when we dream about it at night but actualizing it in the 3D is a whole other story. As a way to understand our dreams, we’ve created a framework split into the what, the why, and the how.
The What
The first step to building your dream life is to identify what that “dream life” is. It’s easy to get brainwashed by social media, movies, and tv shows that each can enforce a trending version of a dream life. That may look nice and pieces of it may resonate but the only way to know what your dreams are is to go inward.
We’ve found that the easiest way to tap into your intuition, to turn inwards, is to visualize. Pick a dream, any dream. Think about it in your mind. What are you wearing, doing, saying, listening to? What does it look like, feel like, sound like to be you? Close your eyes and really think about it. Set a timer for 10 minutes and let your mind wander.
Once you see a vision, you can then put words to what it is. And once you can put words to it, you can start to search for images that showcase what you’re envisioning. We like to build a Pinterest board once we have the vision, so it serves as a tangible reminder and moodboard for reference.
The Why
The second step is to identify the “why.” Now that you know what your dream looks like, you need to understand why it’s your dream. Define your grounding force.
We like to think that your “why” comes from past experience — something you’ve already lived through. Because of what you experienced, your “why” could be to inspire change or encourage action or heal wounds or make art from pain. The “why” serves as your core. We all have a reason for why we are the way we are and why we want things in the future.
The best methods for identifying the why are activities like journaling, therapy, talking to friends, or taking note of where you hold the strongest emotions.
Often, the “why” is also a way to check yourself. Are you truly envisioning a dream that serves you. If no, that’s okay. Go back to step one and start to visualize something different. Try out many versions for your future in your mind, just as you would try on different clothes at a store.
The How
The final step is to take action, it’s to figure out how to get there. People tend to believe this is the hardest part. We disagree. If you take the first two steps seriously and take the time to discover what your dream is and why it’s your dream, how you get there will be much easier. It’ll become clear over time. You’ll start to see moments as opportunities and you’ll start to say yes to those opportunities because you know, wholeheartedly, what your dream is and why it’s your dream.
Of course, like anything that matters in this world, there will be challenges and you may second-guess yourself during this final step. The “how” isn’t the hardest part, but it’s still not easy. Showing up for yourself authentically and reminding yourself of your dreams takes effort, care, and consideration. But i’m following these steps, you’ll understand why you’re putting in effort, care, and consideration.There’s nothing more empowering than that.
In Sum
Dreamers are beautiful people. So, before anything, pat yourself on the back for being that. Allow yourself the time and space to figure out what your dreams are, why you care, and how to get there. Don’t put pressure to do it all over night, and don’t put boundaries on how big your dreams can grow as you learn more about yourself over time. Anything is possible. It’s not about what you want to be, it’s about what you believe you can be.
