I have a dream.

I have a dream.

Ah, isn’t it great to dream?

Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/dream-city-fairy-tale-moon-993984/

As a child I would often be whisked away into my little dream world about how I was president of the United States and I had control over everything.

I think every kid dreams that at least once in their lives. Or if not that, then something equally as powerful.

Like there was a time when I wanted to be a cop, and a fireman, and a fire sergeant.

Mum dated a fireman once, actually. I bet her friends were jealous.

Moving swiftly on..

So it was about 17 or so that I started to develop a plan for myself

But all those goals were totally unattainable

Because I’d always want to be top of my trade instantly. I didn’t want to do any of the menial stuff in-between!

I applied to be in the army once upon a time, and I could see myself being in Military Intelligence,

Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/top-secret-confidential-secret-528875/

Safe to say that went well, NOT.

And there was the time I tried to be a model, and they laughed and told me to lose 28lbs

You know, I always looked for the easy life.

Damn, I even wanted to be a top civil servant and I lasted perhaps a month there.

Too arrogant, which is saying something for a civil servant!

It was tough because I wanted to reach the top in no time at all

I didn’t have time for this learning and devotion crap in between

Fuck that shit

Learning is for losers

Yet it occurred to me during my recovery that I was going to have to learn something because I hadn’t learned anything since I left school. I was a blank space.

Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/to-write-girl-child-schoolboy-774648/

It sort of hit as a brick when I realised that I was still a child in a man’s body

Learning nothing since childhood.

So I picked up books, any

Tried a bit of this, and a bit of that. Just to get a feel for my interests

And then when I found my interests and felt at home with them I went for it.

And I studied at college,

And University

And went on to do a plethora of other things with my life. I’m very career driven

Yet I managed it because I realised this one crucial thing,

Realism

Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/target-setting-objective-success-1513758/

When I started to set realistic goals for myself, achieving them became so much easier

So instead of:

1. Enter Army
2. Join Military Intelligence core

It was more like:

1. Get out of bed at a reasonable time every day
2. Study at least 1 hour daily
3. Attend college and be punctual

And by setting realistic targets for myself I was able to achieve my long term goals, being where I wanted to be in five years.

So when you tell me you’ll never be able to do [x]

I say that you CAN

Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/winner-medal-gold-award-success-1548239/

You may have to make sacrifices along the way

But you’ll get there.

The biggest barrier to your success is yourself.

Pick up that pad

Start writing some targets and goals

And own yourself

And like Morgan Freeman said in “The Shawshank Redemption,”

“Get busy livin’ or get busy dyin’”

Be awesome.