There are facts that I want to share at the outset of this post that will soon become clear as to why.

I don’t slay absolutely everything I try to do.

I make a lot of mistakes.

I’m a flawed person.

I don’t always win.

But other facts that are pertinent to the topic I’m about to share are:

I do slay some things I have attempted to do.

I have also had a lot of wins.

I’ve accomplished what only 2% of the entire world’s population has ever accomplished…I have a doctorate. I’ve also accomplished what well under 1% of the world’s population has ever done and probably closer to 0.1%, and that is write a book. According to ChatGPT, that is the percentage of people who have written books among our global population, and the percentage is even smaller if you consider only those who have been traditionally published. I have been traditionally published as well as self published five times. So, I have accomplished six times what 1% or 0.1% of everyone walking around the planet has ever done. These are two of my rare accomplishments…there are more but I’m just going to leave it at this for now.

Why even tell you that? Is this just to brag,,,to toot my own horn? No, I’m really not doing it for that reason. What I am attempting to do is establish credibility with you, the reader. I want you to understand at the outset that although I’m a flawed person who has made many mistakes, I’ve also gotten a lot of things done in my life that many people say they could never do. And, the number ONE question I receive, far and above the rest is this one: “How do you do all that you do?” It’s often the first thing people ask to pick my brain about. I receive the question so much that I wrote a book about it, and typically just refer people there. But today, I’m not going to refer you there, unless you really really really want to go there. (If you do, feel free. The money you pay for the book will help me do something like buy hairspray this month.) So today I’m going to share three other things in addition to what’s already in the book that I believe you need to know if you want to finally get done what you’ve been dreaming of doing.

Drill down on what you want to do

Clarify what you want to accomplish. As the Bible says, “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.” (Habakkuk 2:2) If it’s vague, it’s probably not going to get done. Drill down on that dream and clarify it.

Don’t just say, “I would like to get more education someday…”

Instead say something like, “I want to go to Southeastern University for my master’s degree in social work.”

Don’t just say, “I want to write a book…”

Instead say something like, “I want to write a book about how to succeed at being a stepparent in a blended family.”

You must get clear about exactly what you’re aiming for. Not just, “I want to write a book” — but what kind of book? About what? For whom? Clarity gives you something concrete to work toward. It transforms a wish into a target.

Experts say the more you niche down on anything the more successful it will be. So the first thing you need to establish is exactly what you’re trying to do. Write down your dream in specific detail.

Prepare for resistance

Anything big that I’ve ever done didn’t come without a lot of resistance. And the pressure comes from every side. You might be surprised at who you will get resistance from.

I had to chuckle about what an author wrote in the acknowledgement section of her book. She wrote, “This book would have been released a year earlier if my family hadn’t kept interrupting me.” While I would never do such a thing, I do have to say that probably every writer who has a family experiences this. Please understand, I’m not saying that your family is a problem, but the truth is that you will probably have resistance from your family at some point, regarding how much time you’re spending on your dream, even if it’s only a few hours a week. It’s just the nature of things.

When I was entering the program for my doctorate, one of the documents I had to submit to get accepted was an essay by my spouse about whether or not he supported me in the journey of getting a doctorate. The stress of a doctoral program and the hours it requires away from your family have caused a lot of people to have marriage problems. So, Larry and I definitely had to be united on the issue of me pursuing higher education.

Prepare for every type of resistance…criticism in general, financial issues, friendship issues (some of your friends might not be able to come with you to where you’re going to) and more.

You will make it if you really want to…but prepare for resistance.

Keep the dream in front of you

During the challenging times, it’s easy to forget why you started. That’s why you must keep your dream visible.

Okay, I’m getting ready to confess how silly I can be sometimes, or how much of a nerd I can be, and I own it…

If you’re a married woman, do you remember when you were engaged to your husband and you would sometimes write his last name over and over again after yours? I can’t count the number of times I wrote “Deanna Shrodes” in notebooks the year before I married Larry. Friends of mine tell me they did this too as they were preparing for marriage, so I’m not alone. I simply could not wait to be Mrs. Deanna Shrodes, and I kept that vision in front of me during my entire year engagement.  The reason I did this, and the reason many other women did it is because we were envisioning what life was going to be like when we reached our dream of marrying our husbands.

I did the same thing with my doctorate at times. During the moments where I felt discouraged, I’d take out a piece of paper and write, Dr. Deanna Shrodes just to remind myself of how it would be…how it would look to see my name addressed as that at times, if only I could complete the program.

So…whatever your dream is, put reminders where you can see them — on your wall, your mirror, your journal. Remind yourself what you’re building and why it matters. Consider creating a dream board with your dreams, or put a list in the notes section on your phone. Whatever you focus on grows.

I hope this helps you as you work toward the fulfillment of your dreams. What is your dream? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.