I have dreams and you have dreams. We all have aspirations that we’re working toward.
But are you truly giving life your all? Are you completely committed to your dreams and journey? If you’re honest with yourself and you find that you are not giving it 110 percent, here’s your reminder that finding success takes much more than luck.
Related: Are You Willing to Do Whatever It Takes?
Actually, you need four things to accomplish your dreams.
1. You need to increase your productivity.
“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” —William Penn
Very rarely does one actually need more time; people usually just need to make better use of the time they do have. In Essentialism, one of my favorite books on the subject of time management, author Greg McKeown says that one will find more time when they understand the disciplined pursuit of less. A person’s ability to focus on what is important and eliminate distractions is what separates the most productive people in the world from the most unproductive people you will ever meet.
2. You need more patience.
When Milton Hershey first started his career in 1875, he was just a 14-year-old kid trying to figure out how business worked. He actually had to shut down three separate candy businesses before he would find success with Hershey’s chocolate, but these obstacles along the way didn’t stop him from pursuing his dreams.
It took Hershey eight years of practice to get a handle on running a profitable business, which resulted in the Lancaster Caramel Company. All of his prior experience paid off and helped him produce amazing candies. In 1900, he sold his caramel company for $1 million, and in 1905, he founded the Hershey Company, becoming one of the most successful chocolate makers in the world.
Most people quit within the first year or two, but not Hershey. Patience is what got him through the most difficult times, and the same principle of patience applies to you and your work. It might take three weeks for you to see results, but it could take three years to reach your dreams. Be patient and keep working hard, however long it takes.
3. You need courage, and lots of it.
“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” —Dale Carnegie
Research has actually proven that fear triggers the same part of the brain that responds to pain. That’s why fear can influence you to turn and run the other way when the going gets tough.
Yes, there will be days when you don’t feel like fighting your fears, but showing up even when doubt and fear tell you not to is the key to success. In other words, your choices matter even more when you don’t feel like making progress. This is because action creates momentum and inaction stops forward progress. You want and need to have forward progress because it is the only thing that will bring about lasting change.
How do you find more courage? Find ideas worth showing up for.
4. You need more willpower.
“Willpower is the key to success. Successful people strive no matter what they feel by applying their will to overcome apathy, doubt or fear.” —Dan Millman
Psychological scientists define willpower as the ability to delay gratification, resisting short-term temptations in order to meet long-term goals. Research shows that it’s even more important than IQ; that’s why the point isn’t to become smarter, but to become more self-disciplined.
To implement more self-discipline in your life, do what you say you are going to do. Being disciplined is very much like being honest. If you don’t plan on doing something, it’s best not to start, because then quitting becomes easier. But if you say you are going to do something, then do it. Nobody likes a liar, and nobody likes to be put in a spot where they have to lie to others or themselves. So be realistic with what you set out to do.
Your dreams aren’t going to fall into your lap without putting in the work. When you increase your productivity, find more patience, get more courage and have more willpower, that’s when you will finally be able to reach your wildest dreams.
Related: 7 Steps to Achieve Your Dream
