What To Do When Your Dreams Are Daunting

April 1, 2016 ‐ Sylvaine HughsonPosted by ‐ Under: Peak Performance

Big dreams can sometimes feel like both a blessing and a curse. The beautiful, wonderful, and exciting part about a monumental dream is that it is a powerful catalyst for action and an endless source of inspiration. The less desirable side, at times, is that it can feel too audacious, overwhelming, exhausting, or time consuming. So what do you do when this is the case?

Here are five of my favorite tips for making the impossible possible when your dreams are daunting:

1. Get Support

We have all encountered naysayers in our lives – people who judge us and shoot us down before we’ve even left the starting gate. Your first priority is to remove toxic individuals from your entourage and to surround yourself with a community of like-minded peers. This new-found tribe will “hold the vision” with you and at times, for you, when you feel too tired or discouraged to do so yourself. Find a powerful coach or mentor to work with as it is key to have that kind of guidance. The more daunting your dream, the more critical it is to have the necessary support to keep you focused, motivated, and on track.

2. Break it Down

We’ve all heard the saying that “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” However simplistic this statement may appear to be – it is not only quite true, but also very profound. If you were to set out to climb Mount Everest – would you expect to do it in a single day? No. It would be a multi-stage process: planning, training, preparation, testing, and finally the climbing phase. So it is with setting out to accomplish a big dream. Begin by breaking down your vision into strategic mile markers and map them out over time. You will make it to the top of your proverbial mountain one step, one decision, and one day at a time. In a way – it’s a huge relief – you don’t have to have all of the answers today!

3. Pace Yourself

Big dreams require you to intimately understand how you operate best – this is one of the many ways in which working with a Peak Performance coach can be particularly helpful. Do you prefer a sprinter’s pace or are you more of a marathoner? What work style fuels you and keeps you optimally engaged and satisfied? If you are more of a sprinter – create deadlines for yourself that require intense bursts of effort, but incorporate recovery time to rest and recharge. If you prefer a marathoner’s pace, then calendar your key goals well in advance and create a steady rhythm for yourself with consistent time off built in. You are in charge of creating your experience. Should you choose to work with a Peak Performance coach, they will help you structure every aspect of your process and ensure that you are poised for success.

4. Release the “How”

Big dreams are daunting for a reason – they demand that you step well out of your comfort zone and grow in new and unexpected ways. Odds are, you do not yet possess all of the expertise necessary to pull off what it is that you are trying to accomplish. If you did have those skills or the sense of confidence required then you would, very likely, have already achieved your audacious goal. A Peak Performance coaching tip I like to share with my clients is to remember to focus on the outcome rather than the process. One of the fastest ways to spark creativity and find answers to potential problems is by letting go of the “how.” Keeping your attention on the desired outcome allows your mind to remain open, flexible, and alert to unexpected solutions that may present themselves. Being open to possibility is one of the most powerful ways to fast-track your endeavors.

5. Trust in the Future

There will be times on the journey up your metaphorical mountain when you will most likely feel discouraged, weary, and downtrodden. But here’s something exceedingly important to remember – what you see in front of you today is in no way an indication of what awaits you tomorrow. Life circumstances can shift for the positive in an instant – the key is to stay the course even when the going gets tough. One of the greatest mistakes I see brilliant individuals make is to give up on a dream just as they are on the verge of breaking through. Remember, during the times when you’re tempted to quit, to lean into the challenge, place your trust in the future, and ask for the support you need.

Here’s to conquering your daunting dreams!