5 Habits of Successful People Who Follow Their Dreams
We were all ambitious as children. The ambitious self within us dreamed of becoming a doctor, a writer, a teacher, a policeman or even an astronaut. But unfortunately, we must also confront reality, and ask ourselves a question in realms of the present: Am I becoming the person I’ve dreamed of? (Or better yet) Did I become the person I’ve always dreamed I’d be?
Sadly, many of us failed to realize our childhood dreams, either because we outgrew them, we formed new ones, we got derailed by the proven path of success that society always forces onto us (go to school, get high grades, land a job) or we quit. Turning dreams into reality do not depend on our birthright, upbringing, financial means or luck. Most of the time, it only requires grit, persistence, and a change in perspective.
If there’s one thing common to all successful people who follow their dreams (aside from the habits that we are going to talk about), it’s their ability to look past seemingly insurmountable odds and become that person. Here are 5 habits of successful people who follow their dreams.
Successful People Ignore Society’s Chatter
Go to school, get high grades, land a good job, retire, and live life to the fullest. Sounds too familiar? This is the society’s chatter, and it’s so easy to lose sight of your dream because of its “practicality.” Mind you, even your family and closest friends will use these words to discourage you from becoming someone you wanted to be.
People who have the courage to follow their dreams are game-changers. They don’t follow the rules set by society — they create their own. If the path you’re taking now does not make you happy, then it’s not your dream. Move forward, listen to yourself and let your intuition guide you to happiness and fulfillment.
Successful People Are Persistent
The saying “Quitters never win” rings true not only in sports, but also in life. Many people failed to follow their dreams because they lacked persistence, quitting after a single rejection or two. If you want to become the person you’ve always dreamed of, persevere — even if that means giving it your all, and then giving more.
Do you know how many rejections Stephen King received before publishing his best-selling book Carrie? Thirty. In his memoir On Writing, King wrote,
“I replaced the nail which held all of my rejection letters with a spike when it could no longer support the weight. And I kept on writing”.
If young Stephen King quit, then today, we won’t be enjoying some of the greatest literary works ever made. If you decide to quit today, then who knows what the world will be missing out tomorrow.
Successful People Create Opportunities
“I never had the chance to follow my dreams.” If you think this reason is good enough to be an excuse, then think again. If life is too elusive to give you a shot, then go make one.
“For the entire summer, I dressed in my suit and hung out with the directors and writers. I even found an office that wasn’t being used, and became a squatter. I bought some plastic tiles and put my name in the building directory: Steven Spielberg, Room 23C.”
Twelve-year old Spielberg knew that he was going to be a director the moment he held his father’s 8mm camera, and like many of us, life wasn’t generous to him. He got rejected by the University of Southern California’s School of Theater, Film and Television three times. So he did what most of us would deem unthinkable, and went on to direct two of the highest-grossing movies of all time.
Successful People Are Not Afraid
You and I know so well that dreams aren’t just about princesses and unicorns — they can be nightmares too. With dreams come uncertainties, doubts and fears; that is just natural. How you react to these is what really matters.
Instead of letting your fear stop you, use it to inspire and move yourself forward. Fear means that you’re onto something exciting, big and life changing. The biggest fear you should have is not that of failure but the fear of not starting and regretting — of saying “If only I did.”
Successful People Visualize And Take Action
Begin and end with a dream. Successful people who follow their dreams do two things:
- They have a vision of what they want to become
- They work on becoming. Visualization is key to starting. But don’t forget that a dream is just a dream until you do something about it.
People who are successful in following their dreams don’t spend their life daydreaming. They snap into action.
Go. Follow your dreams.
