What better way to start the New Year at Acceler8Success Cafe than to focus on dreams and goals. After all, isn’t that what we had been programmed to do at the beginning of each year. At least that was the case pre-pandemic. Seemingly, and possibly due to individuals being in somewhat of a survival mode, dreams and goals appear to be on hold – or individuals are reluctant to discuss the same.

Is it due to fear of not being able to achieve goals or make those dreams come true? Or is it due to guilt and not wanting to share their thoughts as there are still individuals having a difficult time recovering from the throes of the pandemic?

So, today I’m sharing a post that I originally published January 2010 and then again in early-2022. I believe similarities between the economic challenges faced in 2010 and in 2022-2023 make this post, with minor edits still relevant today!

What Happened to Our Dreams and Goals?

I recently came across an interesting discussion in one of the LinkedIn groups that I found quite intriguing, and downright enjoyable to read. It wasn’t about franchising. Nothing about social media. There was no mention of business or entrepreneurship. Money or finances weren’t a major part of the equation. And, surprisingly, just a few mentions about current economic challenges. The discussion was actually about the concept of dreams and goals.

It was enlightening that there were well over one hundred responses in a relatively short period of time. Definitely a considerable amount when compared to other discussions within the same group. Often, the responses were being posted one right after the other. It seemed like people wanted to talk about their dreams and goals, almost as if they had been prohibited from doing so of late.

In light of the economic uncertainty surrounding us today, it seems the subject of dreams and goals has hibernated like a bear for winter. During good times, dreams and goals are out in the open, shared by many. Actually, bragged about by some, and the end results, often materialistic, flaunted by others.

It’s ironic that we’re taught that in order to achieve a goal, a key element in doing so is to enlist the assistance of people that can help us achieve the goal. Yet, in the current economic climate, discussions about dreams and goals have subsided, and have almost disappeared. It’s almost like we feel guilty to have such discussions at this time. Or, that we should just be thankful for what we have and dismiss our dreams and goals as frivolous.

What about the dreams and goals that are not financially driven or rewarding? Why have they been put on the back burner? Well, to all of this, I say “enough is enough.” Yes, enough of the poor me attitudes. Enough of the pity parties. And, enough of the social “rubbernecking.” (Social rubbernecking is when people excitedly talk about other people’s miseries – i.e., neighbor lost his job, their house was foreclosed on, he was having an affair – it’s just like slowing down to look at the horrific car wreck!)

NOW is definitely the time to put all the negatives aside and re-ignite the passion behind our dreams. It’s the perfect time to pull out those lists of goals and remember why we wrote them down in the first place. Why they’re important. How they’re important to people close to us. And how our lives would be positively affected upon achieving our goals and making our dreams come true.

Certainly, it’s time to face the realization that it’s up to us to make our dreams and goals a reality. They’re ours. We own them. No one can take them from us. To paraphrase a quote that I’ve seen many times (in many different forms) in discussions about success, “There are people that make things happen, some that watch things happen, and others that wonder what the hell happened?” Could you tell which group of people are most successful at achieving their goals and making their dreams come true?

And I’ll leave you with my favorite quote to ponder:

The best way to predict your future is to create it. – Abraham Lincoln

Have a great day. Make it happen. Make it count!