How to Implement Your Dreams

Have you played this movie in your head: Inspiration, lofty goals, great intentions and then fade out into the sunset with “I’ll start tomorrow”? And how many tomorrows have gone by?  Everyone has talent and a dream. What gets in the way is a distorted motivation – doing it for money or fame. To counteract what’s holding you back tap into your primal power. This means take your creative process deep down into your soul where it means the world to you and no one else.

I have interviewed artists, writers and chefs. Their advice had a common thread. This is going to sound counterintuitive, but here goes: Don’t cling too tightly to your goals. Sometimes you need creativity to percolate or let the passion cool down a bit, so you can stand back, see it more objectively and improvise.  This worked for me when I wrote Addicted to Stress.

I wanted to organize my thoughts and write them down, but kept making excuses. Finally, I sat down to just do it. I began in the middle and eventually came up with a book idea, “Wedlocked No More!”  I sent my book proposal around and the publisher I signed with, advised me to take my third chapter, “Are You Addicted to Stress?” and build a whole new book around it. “Are you willing to do that and change direction?”

It hit me two days later when I stepped out into my garden, morning cup of coffee in hand, when I began weeding, pinching, pruning and sweating. Here was my beautiful garden and I couldn’t just sit and enjoy the peacefulness. Clearly, I had to accomplish and just as clearly it hit me – I am a stress junkie. I need to write this book for myself and other stress junkies! I got the message.

To bring an inspiration into reality you need to think, feel and improvise.

Here are some tips:

* Keep a small notebook or sketch book with you to jot down ideas and images. When you are ready to implement a project, the messages will reach you if you are looking and listening.

* Aim to do your real work what you are meant to do, not ought to do to get on Oprah.

* Preparation leads to confidence which leads to creativity. Do your homework.

* Set up a work schedule for structure – don’t work overtime – there is great productivity in rest.

* Don’t talk about it to others to gain status. Just do it.

* If you lose momentum, write yourself a letter with concrete reasons as to why you began reminding yourself of the song in your heart.