It is commonly believed that those who set goals for themselves are realistic, and they are the ones who ultimately achieve success. And those who like to dream are romantics with rose-colored glasses, living in anticipation of a miracle that will never happen. But is this really so? In this article we will look at how to achieve both dreams and goals if you skillfully use their main difference.
Perhaps everyone knows how to set goals, but few know how to dream correctly. Take clear, proven instructions for making your wishes come true in 17 steps:
First, let's define the concepts of “goal” and “dream”.
Goals and plans: how to get to London in a year
In his book “Power is in Thought. How to fulfill your cherished desire in 30 days” Elizaveta Volkova writes that a good goal is always achieved through physical actions. Usually, when thinking about a new goal, you immediately understand how exactly you can achieve what you want. In the world of goals, the well-known laws of classical physics, mathematics and logic apply. A goal is your desire, the achievement of which is clear to you and does not raise difficult questions.
As an example, I offer the story of my friend, Catherine. Despite the lack of financial resources, she set herself the goal of going to England for a month, because she adores this country.
The UK is not a cheap country, so Katya wrote out an algorithm for her actions a year before the trip, clearly defining the terms and dates. To implement her plan, she:
- took extra shifts at work, saving money each month for travel;
- completely planned the route of her movements around Foggy Albion;
- found plane tickets at the best price;
- I pre-booked excursions, booked accommodation and even bought tickets for domestic trains and buses.
As a result, the goal was achieved: Catherine went to England and spent an unforgettable month there.
Note that the girl did not rely on luck or luck. She confidently, step by step, walked towards her goal throughout the year. For a whole year she was not interested in her own emotions and mood - after all, she had to work overtime, despite her fatigue. I know that for this purpose she more than once had to cancel meetings with friends, deny herself a new dress and trips to the beautician.
But the goal was above all. Having overcome her own discomfort, Katya achieved what she wanted, even through “I can’t” and “I don’t want.”
On topic: How to set goals for life
Now let's talk about dreams...
Dreams and desires: how to get to London on your birthday
It is generally accepted that a dream is something distant and unrealistic, and a desire is something more trivial and easy to fulfill. However, the meaning of these concepts is general: dreams and desires, as a rule, do not fit into a clear framework for constructing goals and plans for achieving them. In other words, dreams and desires appear to us when we do not quite understand how exactly to realize them. Or we don’t understand at all...
For simplicity, I will further use the concept “dream”, but I mean both dreams and desires.
The difference between a dream and a goal is that you don’t need to “plow” on the physical level to achieve it. All the work happens in your head. You restructure your thinking, setting it not to thinking about the problems and injustices of life, but to what you really want.
The laws of quantum physics work here: by changing your consciousness, you change your reality. You just want something, wish for it and receive it as a gift from the Universe. You don’t have to fight for your dreams, endure hardships and fatigue. Dreams come true as if on their own, but behind this there is a lot of thinking work.
In short, this work is as follows:
- shift the focus of attention to what you want;
- work through negative attitudes;
- get rid of fears;
- learn to be grateful for what you already have.
Do you want to learn how to control your reality with the help of your own thoughts? Start with a free master class by Elizaveta Volkova - you will receive a set of proven techniques and techniques.
BOOK YOUR PLACE
And now about London. It so happens that I have two similar examples about traveling to England: two of my friends visited this country, but got there in completely different ways.
I already told about Catherine’s story when we talked about goals. The next story is about Tatyana.
Since childhood, Tanya wanted to visit England. I remember that at school she loved English lessons and in the last grades she already had a good command of the language. While we had fun going to the movies and ice cream parlors, Tanya seriously studied the culture, mentality and history of her beloved country.
Once she even almost went to London on a school tour, but for some reason the trip fell through.
Then university, family, children... The trip to London took a back seat, but in the depths of her soul Tanya knew for sure: someday she would definitely see with her own eyes the Tower, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey... Everything she had read about and seen only in pictures .
And so, on the girl’s 30th birthday, her parents, knowing about their daughter’s long-standing passion, decided to fulfill her childhood dream and gave her a trip to the capital of England with open dates.
The dream came true, but Tatyana did nothing special to make it come true. I didn’t set goals or make plans, didn’t work in the evenings and didn’t save every penny. She only kept the dream in her heart, imagining what exactly she would see in London, where she would walk... And in the end, her “dream with pictures” became a reality in the most unexpected way.
What is a dream and how is it different from a goal?
Many people are used to living life according to the rules - they go with the flow and have no dreams, no aspirations, no efforts. It's a sad sight, I tell you. Dreams inspire, make you look at the world with an enthusiastic look, a person with a dream can inspire and motivate. It's cool when we can dream!
A dream is a picture we imagine; We imagine what the result of these imaginations will be in reality. This is what we really, really want, what we live for, what we direct all our thoughts towards, what helps us live meaningfully and change.
Only a person can dream. If we talk about dreaming as an action, then it is carried out in the brain with the help of imagination. A person imagines in his imagination a certain result, which in reality he does not yet have, but with specific steps and conditions he can quite realistically obtain it.
A goal is a specific result of certain actions. It arises based on our needs.
If you were careful, then in both the first and second definitions you saw one word - result. So what happens: are goals and dreams the same thing, the same result? But no.
You need to understand that a person exists in objective and subjective realities (complex terms, but you can’t live without them). So the goal is more of an objective reality - what can be seen in the material world. A dream is a subjective reality: feelings, thoughts, some beliefs.
Such subjective realities mature inside a person, in his thinking. And goals connect his thinking and the outside world. Goals serve as a bridge between dreams and objective reality. You can find out more about what goal and goal setting are on our blog.
So, goal and dream - what's the difference:
- the goal is soberly assessed, the dream may be “crazy”;
- the goal must be achieved with the help of tasks (these concepts are also different), but our imagination draws pictures “in flight”, not planned;
- a goal is often limited by time, a dream can “dream” all your life;
- the goal encourages action (the faster, the better), the dream is again “in flight.”
Which tool is better: a goal or a dream?
In the stories of Catherine and Tatiana, the result is the same: they both ended up in England. But their paths were different. It is obvious that the heroine of the first story put a lot of effort into realizing her plan, and this path to achieving her goal was quite difficult. While the second heroine’s dream came true easily and simply. Although not so fast, since Tanya did not have the skills to work with thinking.
So, what should we look for when choosing a tool to achieve our “wants”? I’ll share an idea that I took from Elizaveta Volkova’s book “Power in Thought. How to fulfill your cherished desire in 30 days.”
Setting a goal and achieving it is good when you know for sure that you can do it, and you will not sacrifice your health and internal resources. For example, you set yourself a goal to read 20 books in a year or get a ripped body and pumped up muscles. The implementation plan is simple and straightforward: you just need to start reading or start exercising regularly.
But the dream method works well in the case when you don’t really know how exactly to make that dream come true, because at the moment you simply don’t have the resources for it. For example, you want to buy an apartment in Moscow or get veneers that cost the same as a good car. Or you want to fall in love with the ideal man and start a family with him, but you don’t even have a contender for this role yet. Then the best thing to do is start dreaming.
But it often happens that in pursuit of what you want, you end up using both tools at once. I'll tell you how it was for me...
What are dreams for?
In nature, nothing happens just like that. If some function was fixed in the process of evolution, it means that it contributed to the survival of the species. This principle also applies to human higher nervous activity. This means that the ability to dream was not given to us by chance. Let's figure out why exactly.
Changing reality
Dreams give energy and strength to transform the world. Without them, life has no meaning and seems gray and dull. If people were not able to imagine the desired result in bright colors, then, most likely, they would still live in caves. There would be no talk of any scientific or technological progress.
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The ability to imagine in detail what we don’t yet have, but really want to get, is the driving force for the development of both an individual person and all of humanity. You just need to learn how to use this opportunity correctly. Don't try to escape from harsh reality into an imaginary world, but actively work to improve your life.
Increased motivation
Another important function is motivational. When we create an image of the desired result and charge it with emotions, the brain gives us energy to take action. Subjectively, this is felt as an emotional uplift, inspiration, euphoria. Literally my hands are itching to start doing something.
The more realistic and desirable this image is, the stronger the initial supply of motivation for its implementation. The main thing is not to waste it on creating a passive high. We'll talk about this a little later.
Feeling better
Active daydreaming changes brain chemistry. Can you imagine? The pictures are imaginary, but the physiological processes are real! By experiencing happiness in our imagination, we receive a dose of endorphins. Exactly the same ones that the brain releases in response to real happiness. This is real magic.
That's why it's so important to think about good things all the time. If you are depressed or tired, remember your dream and get inspired by it. You will feel better immediately. Strength and desire to live will appear.
Development of creativity and cognitive functions
Unlike objective reality, there are no restrictions in our consciousness. A person can imagine anything, any way and any time. By dreaming and fantasizing, we learn to see the unusual in ordinary things, establish new connections between objects and phenomena, and simulate non-standard situations. The mind as a whole becomes more flexible, and our horizons expand to limitless latitudes.
In addition, dreams are an excellent training for cognitive functions: perception, memory, attention. To synthesize the desired image in your head, you need to remember the details well, connect them together and keep them in focus for some time. It's not as simple as it seems. The more often you practice, the better you get.
Self-knowledge
Our unconscious communicates with us through pictures and images. The language of letters and numbers is inaccessible to him. Therefore, dreams are sometimes the only chance to reach your soul. With their help, we revive our inner child and establish a strong connection with him.
They also help to test the boundaries of your own capabilities. It’s always interesting how what you want will come true and whether it will come true at all. Each fulfilled dream works to increase self-esteem and build self-confidence.
Personal story: how to simultaneously achieve a goal and make a dream come true
During the spring pandemic of 2022, I, like many at that time, dreamed of finding an interesting job online. First, I set a goal: to find suitable courses, complete training and start working.
My first education was as a linguist-translator, so I chose an online course in copywriting (text writing). I liked writing, and I saw great prospects for myself.
After training, I took one-time orders, but they did not bring much pleasure. Boring topics, texts based on the customer’s template - all this really limited me. I dreamed of how I would write on a regular basis about what was really interesting to me, how I would be able to express my own thoughts, reason, and share my experiences with readers.
And suddenly I saw a vacancy for an article writer for Elizaveta Volkova’s project “POWER IN THOUGHT.” I’ve been following Lisa for several years now and took her course—I simply couldn’t find a topic closer to my heart! In addition, over the past couple of years I have read and listened to many authors on the topic of wish fulfillment, materialization of thoughts and the psychology of relationships. I re-realized a lot for myself personally and incredibly expanded the boundaries of my thinking. I really wanted to share my own thoughts on these topics!
I realized that I wanted this job with all my heart. I was asked to write a test article. I liked the article, and for several months now I have been writing for my favorite blog, freely sharing my opinion and experience with you, while simultaneously receiving a lot of insights for myself personally.
On the subject: Attracting your dream job with the power of thought
How to turn a dream into a goal
Let's look at a real example of how you can turn a dream into a goal. Let's imagine that a certain hypothetical Vasya dreams of learning to play the guitar. In his imagination, he pictures himself standing on stage with a guitar in his hands in front of a crowd of screaming fans.
What do we do first? We compare the dream with reality. There is a gulf between Vasya, who has never held a guitar in his hands, and Vasya, who plays professionally on stage. We need to bridge this gap. Setting the bar of aspirations too high will hinder goal achievement and cause frustration. But this does not mean that you need to completely bury the original idea. You can put it on a shelf in the far corner of your consciousness for now and return to it when you already have some results.
Vasya reconsidered his original desire and now imagines how he beautifully and masterfully plays his favorite song on the guitar. This is an example of a realistic dream. If she continues to motivate and encourage action, you can continue to work with her. If not, then feel free to brush it aside and look for another one.
Vasya decided to continue, and now he is faced with the task of assessing the necessary resources. To learn to play the guitar, you need:
- time;
- tool;
- smart teacher;
- money for classes.
All this is not a problem for Vasya, so he immediately begins preparatory measures. For greater efficiency, the guy sets himself a deadline by which the dream must be realized. This way he will be less tempted to constantly procrastinate.
That's it, in just 15 minutes you can turn your dream into a goal and start making it come true. Of course, this is a very simple example, but I think you understand the basic principle.
Where in my story is the goal and where is the dream?
The goal was to find a permanent online job, and to achieve it I took certain actions: took training, took orders to gain experience, wrote a resume. Everything here was simple and clear. And with my actions, I achieved my goal - I have an online profession, with which it is not difficult to find a permanent job.
What was the dream? Write about what interests me. And here it was most difficult. Finding a project where you need to write not about the technical characteristics of air conditioners or about flea products for dogs is quite difficult. And it’s even more difficult to pass the competition - 6 people per place - without much experience in writing articles.
This is exactly the case where goal setting alone will not help; you need to bring in a dream to help. And with the power of my thoughts, I achieved what I wanted: I don’t just have an online job, I have an online job that brings great pleasure.
Now let’s dig deeper and together determine who you are by nature - a dreamer or a “goal setter.” Or, as it is now customary to call those who like to set goals, an achiever.
Target
In Ozhegov’s dictionary, a goal is designated as a certain object of aspiration, something that needs to be accomplished. Before the goal, a certain desire appears that drives a person. First a desire appears, followed by a goal. To fulfill a desire, a goal is necessary, this is a prerequisite.
The goal must be realistic and achievable. And to achieve it, a clear plan must be drawn up, consisting of smaller tasks, each of which should bring us closer to the final result - the goal. This is how a goal differs from a dream.
The left hemisphere of the brain and logical thinking are responsible for setting goals in humans. Therefore, we can safely say that setting goals and striving for their implementation sets man apart from the entire diversity of the animal world.
Achievers vs Dreamers
People who strive to change their lives for the better and want to implement their plans can be divided into two categories: achievers and dreamers. You probably now recognize yourself or someone you know in some of them.
Achievers
- these are those who set goals for themselves and always achieve them, while performing some actions on the physical level. This year, the achiever sets his goal to earn 100 thousand rubles a month and achieves the desired result, and next year - 500, and also successfully copes with the task. He sets a goal to lose 10 kg in 2 months - and nothing will stand in his way. His plans are to go to a warm country for six months - and his Instagram feed is already full of bright, juicy photographs of the Indonesian islands.
Achievers are people with a special character; they do not tolerate failure. If there is a goal, you need to reach it at any cost. They always have a clear plan of action, and even more than one. Everything is calculated and thought out to the smallest detail. There is nothing to do with emotions, the goal is always a priority. They often realize their goals and plans extremely easily. But if suddenly obstacles and difficulties arise along the way, the achiever will give his best: he will work for wear and tear like a robot, but he will definitely achieve his goal - not by washing, but by skating.
An achiever believes that by setting goals you can achieve absolutely anything. But you and I already know that not everything you want can be achieved by setting a clear goal. In many situations, a tool called “dream” turns out to be indispensable.
Perhaps achievers would be even more successful using dreams as well as goals.
Dreamers
- these are lovers of imagination. They love to replay their lives in their heads after their wishes come true and unconditionally believe that better days and a happy future are about to come.
I am sure that you have already tried to dream, and your dreams have come true.
Remember, perhaps you once dreamed of a Barbie doll, and your dad one day brought her back from a business trip. Or, since childhood, you imagined yourself married to a prince from a Disney fairy tale. And then at the age of 17 we suddenly met him - so similar to Eric, Philip or Ferdinand that it simply took your breath away.
On the subject: How to find your love using the power of thought?
If you are a dreamer by nature, you can make your dreams come true even faster by adopting some of the principles of achievers. Start working on your thinking on an ongoing basis - imagine achieving your dreams every day, without interruption.
It turns out that both achievers and dreamers need both tools to bring their plans to life - dreams and goals. You just need to learn how to choose them correctly for a given situation.
Harm to dreams
With all the variety of benefits from daydreaming, I note that dreaming can sometimes be harmful. Yes, yes, you spelled it correctly – it’s really harmful! This process can serve as a brake on your actions. Let's see the arguments why.
No action
There is another apt proverb that I really like: “Dreams don’t work until you work.” A person who spends all his time in an imaginary super world is wasting his time and doing nothing to have this super world.
Some people don’t know how to find a purpose in life when they don’t want to do anything, so they spend all their time in fantasies. But it's not right. Listen, this is how life will pass, and the person will still be in fantasy! Avoid this mistake.
To prevent this from happening, let’s agree with you: you spend a maximum of an hour on your dreams, and devote the rest of the time to making them come true. Agreed? Let's move on.
Escaping real life
It is clear that our real life does not always suit us. But this is not a reason to leave her. Now many “gadget” teenagers cannot show the will and overcome difficulties. They are not used to this. It’s easier for them to escape into the world of online games, social networks, isolate themselves, and communicate with imaginary friends. Therefore, the number of clients for psychologists and patients for psychiatrists has increased.
Imaginary pictures sometimes lead away from the realities of life. But don't give in to this temptation! On the contrary, overcome difficulties, work on yourself, achieve what you have fantasized about in real life.
Arguments against imaginary life
Inadequate self-esteem
If you've been daydreaming too much and in the clouds of your dreams you've become a superman saving all the disadvantaged of the planet, stop! Try to think and evaluate yourself adequately. For example, you dream of being a doctor, in your fantasies you have flown far overseas: you have a sea of visitors, you save patients with a rare form of cancer... But at the sight of blood you lose consciousness and you hate biology...
Modesty and adequacy in fantasies are a useful thing; they prevent you from “flying away” to an unknown destination. Instead, focus on the end results you want and can achieve. Don't allow yourself to be too far ahead of others in your fantasies. Such narcissism in one's own glory will lead to a dead end.
How to choose dreams and goals
In each specific case, you need to determine which tool for implementing your plan will work better - a goal or a dream? And use the most suitable method to achieve what you want.
For example, now I am learning Turkish and want to speak this language fluently. It is my goal. It’s unlikely that the dream method will suit me, because here you definitely need to work on a physical level: study with a teacher, learn words and grammar rules, and do homework.
I also want a new spacious apartment in the area of the Ostankino TV tower with high ceilings and a combined living room and kitchen. But now I don’t have the funds to purchase it. Therefore, the dream method is ideal here. I will use the power of thought and work with the subconscious in order to look at Moscow from the 24th floor of my own apartment in a couple of years.
How to fulfill your dream of an apartment, a car, travel, an ideal soul mate?
Get all the details, examples and life hacks here >>>
If you set a goal for yourself, act like an achiever. And if you choose to work on your dream, use the skills of a dreamer. Or use both methods at once, as I did with my dream job. Then the result will be the reality that was a goal for some of you, and a cherished dream for others.
Do you set goals or dreams? Share in the comments.
It all starts with a dream
A person needs a dream. It is with her that all great discoveries and inventions begin, she is the driving force of any endeavor. In it we draw our future, reveal our abilities and talents, and become convinced that we can do a lot. How vividly this is said in quotes and aphorisms about dreams.
“The poor man is not the one who doesn’t have a penny in his pocket, but the one who doesn’t have a dream.”
Socrates
“You should never give up on your dreams! Dreams feed our soul, just as food feeds our body. No matter how many times in life we have to experience disaster and see our hopes dashed, we must still continue to dream.”
Paulo Coelho
“Dream big. Only great dreams have the power to touch human souls.”
Marcus Aurelius
“The absence of a dream destroys a people.”
John Kennedy
“For those who dream big and don’t doubt their courage, there is a place at the top.”
Sharp James
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
“Sometimes it’s worth chasing your dreams, especially if it makes you happy.”
Sarah Gio
“A dream is a rainbow connecting Today and Tomorrow.”
Sergey Fedin
“When you start to understand yourself, you finally understand that everything is in your power and you can control your life. But this can only be achieved by overcoming yourself. And many people do not like difficulties and try in every possible way to avoid pain.
When you work to make your dreams come true, at some point a turning point occurs. There is a power dormant within you that you have never tapped before. You learn to jump above your head and challenge your capabilities.
You don't need anyone to approve of your dream. Don't try to cut anywhere! Earn your dream! Do what you think is necessary!”
from the film “Train to Paris”
“We need dreamers. It's time to get rid of the mocking attitude towards this word. Many people still don’t know how to dream, and maybe that’s why they can’t catch up over time.”
Konstantin Paustovsky
“There is no need to be afraid of your desires, whether you are 20, 30 or much older. If you have a dream, be sure to try to make it come true.”
Nver Simonyan
“Dreams are not an escape from reality, but a means to get closer to it.”
“A man without a dream is like a bird without wings.”
