You can move from where you are today to where you want to go tomorrow. I weighed? Yes, possible target. Clearly assess what it is you really want to achieve in life. The more specific you can be about what your dream really is, the easier it will be to chart the path to success.
Your dreams don’t happen in a day. They take time. And sometimes you will need a little encouragement along the way to keep going. So whenever you hit certain milestones, stop what you’re doing, pause, and give yourself a high-five for all the progress you’ve made.
The road to success is not so easy. It may take years to start making progress toward your goal. However, the bottom line is that you never give up on your dreams. For example, I really want to become an international researcher. Cognitively, I own that. Viscera? I have that too. Money? That is my biggest problem. I am a single father. Basically, I want to give my children my highest priority over myself. But my inner drive is very strong to make my dreams come true.
What I did was accept academic writing projects online. A client gave me that break. The only person who trusted my ability to do so hired me to ghostwrite his Ph.D. book. I took that opportunity as my springboard to fly higher, to get out of my comfort zone and dream big to get closer to my goals.
Do you know what I learned? You really don’t need a lot of people to trust your ability. You need to find that one person who will believe in you and the rest will follow. Ironic, right? I can’t find that support even in my own family. But, I am a very optimistic person. I don’t give up easily. And that is worth celebrating because it pushes me to keep going a little further.
My first opportunity happened in 2018. I really dared to leave the country even though it was scary because first of all it is my first time and I didn’t know anyone there. My only hope was my client’s promise that he would meet me at my hotel once he arrived in Malaysia. Carrying that hope with me, I bet and invested in my first trip.
I did not regret that because I put my client for one thing, plus I was able to meet other people from different parts of the world. Better also that I am multilingual and speak quite a few foreign languages. It helped me a lot to adapt to the people I got to be with.
Speaking of investment, I spend a lot of money on my studies. I am hungry for knowledge, so I keep my free time improving and becoming more proficient in my craft. I believe in continuous professional development. Never stop learning even if you are old. It keeps you facing the challenges of the digital age.
We need to act to make our dreams come true. But dreams come true only as a result of doing what it takes to make them come true. Putting effort and making a reasonable plan will guide you to success. There will be some bumps along the way, but if you learn from your setbacks, you’ll be even more likely to get what you’ve always wanted in the end.
