5 Reasons to Stop Calling Your Goals Dreams

1. Dreams Just Happen

When you dream, you just see things play out. If you type “dream big” into Google one of the first things to pop up is an article about advice from Steve Jobs. The article talks about how Steve Jobs told a Disney executive to “Dream Bigger”. If we quote his biography, found at http://www.biography.com/people/steve-jobs-9354805,“Jobs experimented with different pursuits before starting Apple Computers with Steve Wozniak in 1976.” The basic principle of pursuit is to go after something. His success didn't just happen. It wasn't a dream. It was a goal.

2. Dreams Aren’t Real

In my latest dream I was walking towards a forest, the sky turned dark and I looked up. When I looked back down a random shogun was in my face and hit me with a nice clean sword swing. You know why this dream will never become a reality? I don’t randomly walk towards forests. I don’t camp. I don’t actively try to prevent forest fires. Calling what you want to do in life, a dream, doesn't help it become any more of a reality. Calling a goal a dream makes the goal seem like it is impossible or has a low chance of occurring. When you make something
a goal it becomes a lot more…real.

3. Dreams Change Often

Along with getting chopped by samurai. I’ve had a wide range of different dreams. I’ve been “Honey I Shrunk The Kids” size and walked on a bathroom towel rack. Out of the 100’s of dreams I’ve had, very few times have they built upon each other. We can’t have goals and change them as often as dreams change. Not for the big goals. When you think of an Olympian, you think of someone that has spent countless hours to achieve their goal. If Michael Phelps changed his goals often we would have no idea who he is. He would be some guy that can do a little bit of basketball, soccer, running, and pretty good at swimming. Dreams aren't consistent, but our goals should be.

4. Dreams Are Short

Out of the 6 to 8 hours of sleep that we hopefully get, dreams last anywhere from a few seconds to what seems like hours. Most of my dreams are over in what seems like an instant. Our goals are typically never things that can happen overnight. To get into a corporate position nowadays, we go through 15+ years of school. If your goal is to become president you’re going to have to be at least 35 first. Goal achieving is a long journey.

5. Dreams Are Free

You don’t have to drop an initial deposit on a dream. Do you know how angry people would be if they had to pay to dream. Imagine running a dream stop sign, in a dream vehicle, and waking up with a real ticket beside your bed. Donald Trump had to pay big time to achieve
his “dreams”. Along his multibillion-dollar journey, Donald Trump has filed for bankruptcy 4 different times. We pay for our resources, in some shape or form, in order to accomplish our goals.

No one really has time in this world. It’s not some commodity that we can buy and sell on the market. Thinking of a goal as a dream just creates another mental obstacle. We’re better off if we kill that illusion. What you want is very possible, but are you going to make it happen? No dreams only goals.