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Making dreams come true
I’ve been thinking a lot about my ideas, dreams, and plans this week. And although I believe that I am a person who actually implements many ideas, I had to admit to myself that I have only dreamed many dreams and have not put them into practice.
Presumably, many people feel this way, if not most.
But why is that? Why is it rather difficult for some to make their dreams come true, while others seem to implement every idea, no matter how far-fetched? If you look around on YouTube and co, millions of people seem to be living their absolute dream life. If you have ADHD, you probably know this, you like to lose yourself in your thoughts and drift into a complex world of daydreams. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Especially since many life coaches often speak of “visualizations”, which are supposed to help with the implementation or “manifesting” of wishes. The idea behind this is that we get what we send out. And indeed, it is true that our thoughts are measurable in the form of frequencies. The idea that we are attracting similar frequencies as a result is quite understandable to me. But that’s where the problem begins, in my eyes.
Our brain prevents us from DOING
The problem is that, in some cases, we can actually put ourselves insuch a position and imagination that we can no longer “do” as a result. Because our brain assumes that we are already fully engaged in implementing the ideas. For our brains, there is no significant difference between actually doing something and just visualizing it to do it. It gets even worse when you talk at length about your dreams and ideas. Because all this already triggers dopamine in the brain. For our brain, we have therefore already reached our goal in terms of reward, especially if real, great successes from set goals are unknown, then you can’t imagine how you would feel if you actually achieved a big goal, realized a seemingly impossible dream. So you actually continue to live as before, because visualizing everything and talking about ideas does not help when it comes to having to seriously get into action to implement an idea.
The advice of many coaches
I’m not saying visualization doesn’t work, it does. But only to a certain extent. At some point, there has to come a point where you tackle the things you’ve visualized. And that’s where many people are lacking. Not for everyone, but for many. One reason is that, as described in the last section, they had already experienced the subconsciously desired dopamine kick. So the problem is not that we can’t do something, that we don’t have the financial means or that we don’t have enough time. Of course, these and other factors can also play a role. The biggest problem is ourselves when it comes to realizing our dreams. And the fact that our brain accepts another currency as a reward. Strictly speaking, our brain doesn’t care about money. Our brain and subconscious mind do everything just for hormones, such as dopamine. As soon as the dopamine kick has started, the task for our brain is done.
External motivation
The trick is to keep this problem in mind and, if necessary, to use external reward systems to outsmart yourself. When I plan my “sprints“, I always plan a small reward for myself at the end that I can look forward to. When I have completed my tasks. This can be something I’ve been thinking about buying for a long time, or I’m going for a massage, or it can be a weekend trip to relax.
For many, these things may be taken for granted, and I’m not saying that you have to “earn” them. But for many people, such things are unfortunately not taken for granted these days. And this trick helps me to push myself extra and become more productive as a result. Of course, it is rightly said again and again that external motivation is not sustainable and that we should not already make children dependent on it, etc. But not all people’s internal motivation or self-discipline works so well that they actually manage to realize their dreams and plans. That’s why I think such little tricks are a good way to motivate yourself. Especially when you are an adult and make these rewards possible for yourself, you are not dependent on the will and promise of another person, which is a serious difference to reward systems in the education of children.
Conclusion
I believe it is absolutely possible to realize one’s dreams and live a dream life. At least for most people in the Western world. We have so many options. Time and again, people prove that it is possible to realize the wildest ideas and dreams. And again and again it turns out that the main factor is yourself. Your own minimum, the skills you have and how well you can lead and control your own thoughts and actions. Buddhists knew this hundreds and thousands of years ago.
If you are also interested in topics such as personal development, time and project management, founding companies and maybe even real estate and finance topics, feel free to take a look at my other website, christinaernst.net. There I regularly write on all these topics and publish a new article there every Monday.
I wish you a fulfilling weekend.
All the love
Christina
“But you see and say, ‘Why?’ But I dream and say, ‘Why not?'”
George Bernard Shaw
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About the author
Christina Ernst is founder and CEO of Linen & Quince. She is also a designer, author and real estate expert. She shares her experiences and knowledge not only on our Linen & Quince blog, but also on her personal blog, christinaernst.net , where she writes about financial knowledge, starting a business, real estate knowledge and personal development. She loves interior design, art, antiques, as well as elegant, sustainable and high-quality fashion.
