“Secrets of successful achievers” 1 of 14

Secret #1: Big Achievers Are Big Dreamers

Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of the Rome, shares an important secret of successful achievers:

“Dream big dreams; Only big dreams have the power to move men's souls.”

Procrastination is the biggest complaint I hear from the people I work with. And generally speaking, I believe one of the two main causes of procrastination is a dream that’s too small (the other cause is belief which I’ll cover later). It’s just too easy to put off doing something that doesn’t motivate you even if you were to achieve it.

Big dreams drive us to do things we’d never do for smaller dreams – BIG dreams pull us through the challenges we experience on the way to reaching them.

Living a life of big dreams is a lot easier than you might think. It really IS just a decision.

"When you really know what you want out of life, it's amazing how opportunities will open up to help you on your way."

What’s the secret? First, you write your dreams down.

I bet that’s something you’ve heard before. I heard it for twenty years and ignored it too! But the fact is, writing down your goals is powerful, increasing your chances of success by at least 1000% according to Brian Tracy.

Your dreams must be BIG. There’s no power at all in small dreams. When the dream isn’t big enough, it’s too easy to give in to the challenges in life. It can be difficult to maintain the persistence that all great achievement requires when the dream is small or ordinary.

And it’s very difficult to get others to help us without a Big Dream. In some way or another we’re going to need other people in order to reach our goals, and as Marcus Aurelius said, “Only big dreams have the power to move men’s souls.”

How big is BIG? If it doesn’t make you a little nervous, you know that feeling in the pit of your stomach; if it doesn’t take your breath away the first time you think about it, it’s probably not big enough. The physical symptoms described are the result of a chemical change in your body caused by your thoughts. When your dream is big enough that the thought of it causes your body to undergo physical changes, then you are on the right path.

Now It’s Time To Take Action:

Set aside time when you can turn outside distractions off and get quiet inside.
Review the Memory Jogger below. Meditate a few minutes on each one and write down whatever comes to your mind. Don’t worry about whether it’s realistic or whether it’s a serious dream. You can prioritize your dreams when you’re finished.

Memory Jogger List:

Are you pleased with your physical appearance?
When is the last time you exercised? What did you do?
What kinds of activities do you enjoy doing with family and friends?
How do you spend your solitary time?
When is the last time you had a physical?
What is the name of the last book you read?
How do you spend your Friday nights?
What hobbies do you have? When is the last time you participated in any of them?
Who are your five closest friends?
When is the last time you spent time with them? What did you do?
Where do you want to go that you haven’t gone?
What do you want to see that you haven’t seen?
What do you want to experience that you haven’t experienced?
What do you want to do that you haven’t done?
What do you want to try that you haven’t tried?
How much time do you spend on/with the people in your organization?
Are you more focused on results, people, or productivity?
Do you enjoy your job?
How well do you manage your time: at work? at home? socially?
Do you regularly take time off?
When is the last time you had a vacation? Where did you go?
How can you improve your communication skills?.... Speaking, writing, and listening
How much time do you spend with your family?
Do you really believe quality time is more important than quantity?
How can you become more organized?
When is the last time you made a new friend?
Where did you meet him/her?
What is the name of the last new restaurant you ate at?
Have you travelled internationally?
Where did you honeymoon?
If you could have any occupation in the world, what would it be and why?
What is the last musical or sporting event you attended?
What is the name of the last class you took? When was that?
How often have you changed jobs in the last 10 years?
How much money do you have in savings/investments?
How much do you weigh?
What is the last new thing you learned?
What is your household net worth?
When is the last time you “played?”
What trade publications do you subscribe to?
What magazines or newspapers do you subscribe to? Do you read them?
What organizations or clubs do you belong to? Why did you join?