Do you have a "Dream Board?"
Monday, September 28, 2009 at 09:19AM Some entrepreneurs maintain what I've heard personal development gurus refer to as a Dream Board. This is a cork board or dry erase board that you hang in your office or wherever you're likely to see it often. It may feature images and descriptions of those things you want to achieve or acquire most in life. The objective is to impress these images upon your mind frequently such that they might increase your motivation and focus to go forward and do what is necessary to attain them. Typical items you might find on a Dream Board are luxuries like cars, boats, houses, vacations, money, etc.
The inherent problem I find with Dream Boards is that they are Dream boards. Dictionary.com offers a number of definitions for the noun Dream. However, the two that I want to point out are the following:
6. an aspiration; goal; aim: A trip to Europe is his dream.
7. a wild or vain fancy.
Number 6 is fine, but I think the word Dream naturally carries with it an element of unreality that is counter to acquiring or achieving those things you really want in life. A dream to me is imaginary, something for which you have visions, but really have no intentions or concrete plans as to how you're going to make your dreams a reality.
So, what I propose is that you change your Dream Board to something that is entirely different. Rename and reconfigure your Dream Board as a Reward Board. This idea came to me after watching my two zany compadres and fellow marketing mavens, Travis Miller & Jimmy Vee, on GotBiz.tv talk about their start as entrepreneurs and what they did to stay motivated. When you've got a Reward Board the
"stuff" you want (e.g. a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant, a sports car, etc) is directly linked to you performing particular actions that you've determined will get you to a goal.
This approach is much more action oriented and thus more beneficial because most fail at the action part of achievement. Now, you are rewarding yourself for taking action (the key to getting anything you want in life) and reinforcing positive goal setting and planning habits, rather than simply stating what "dreams" you'd like to one day maybe, possibly, potentially realize.


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