by Birte Edwards

Created on: April 07, 2009   Last Updated: April 08, 2009

"Goals are dreams with deadlines" Diana Scharf Hunt

The headline is a little misleading. We never achieve dreams. We achieve desires, goals.

Dreams are wonderful. Without dreams we would not be what we are. Without dreams we would never know what we really want and desire. Without dreams we would not be able to set goals. Dreams are the first notion of something we want, the first step to set goals.

But dreams are no more than that - dreams. And just as well. If every dream we had became reality as we are dreaming about them our world would be impossibly cluttered with stuff that we don't need, and often may actually hinder us in getting what we really want.

There is one more problem with dreams of the kind we are talking abouthere. Dreams are often based on ideas of what we don't want and are scattered and unfocused.

This is the reason, why it is not dreams we achieve, but goals.

When we dream of something there are definite steps to take to turn them into set goals.

1. Decide what you want. Make that decision in the positive, and not in the negative, such as "I don't want this relationship". Back in the 1960's there was a very strong anti-war movement with the slogan "Fight War". Guess what we got? More wars.

When you work on what you want write it down in short sentences on a piece of paper. Take a good look. Is there anything negative there? Words such as prefer is negative. Even the word want gives out the energy of lack. Desire is a better word. But best of all is to write it as if you already have it - in the present.

2. Visualization. Once clear on this begin visualizing having what you desire. See yourself having it, living it, using it. Whatever is right for your desire. Make this visualization as detailed as possible. Don't ever think about how. That's for later. In the visualization it's only seeing yourself as already in possession of this desire.

You gain two things with this: one - you begin the internal process of growing in to what you desire; two - you clarify your desire in finer details.

Through the visualization we see the different sides of the desire. We improve on the original desire. Keep visualizing the whole time while you go through the additional step.

I recall a story of the creator of IBM. His first visualization was not the products but the offices, the employees- how many, their dress code; the business logo and the color scheme, all those things that seem secondary. That was his dream. The rest was how to.

3. Journal Write down what you

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