On my own path of greatness one particular quote that always gave me motivation was this: “Every morning you have two choices; continue to sleep with your dreams or wake up and chase them.”

Seeing so many successful athletes, businessmen, celebrities, politicians and motivational speakers; motivated me to chase my dreams.  I have come to realise that your dreams must be authentic to you and you only. We were born to make sense of our own journey not others. I developed a notion that they were special, great people who worked hard to achieve their dreams.

One of the textbook definitions of a dream is the “infatuation or indulging in fantasies about something greatly desired.” Whether it is a beautiful house, a degree, a job, a car, holiday; you have to become obsessed with that dream.

A particular trait of a dream is that they can be unclear and sometimes you wake up in the middle of the night in a state of confusion. Likewise trying to make your goals and dreams possible may start off as a shaky road so it’s important to visualize the end goal.

“Greatness is not this elusive, esoteric, godlike feature that only the special among us will ever taste. It is something that truly exists in all of us.” – Will Smith

Many people give up on their dreams simply because they are afraid to fail. This is a reflection of not having the correct tools, motivation, guidance and support. People stop chasing their dreams because in my opinion it is a psychological factor.

This is based on the association of the mind with the word DREAM; As soon as we say DREAM we sit back; relax and disconnect ourselves and immediately think about this huge unattainable fantasy and say to ourselves “I will never achieve that” , “it will take forever” “I will wait for the perfect time”. So it is time to make your dreams a reality so chase your dreams because for now at least you can muster some courage.

Below I have listed 6 ways to start chasing your dreams.

1. Explore

Don’t be afraid to ask. You are going to get further by exploring your dream if you ask questions. Ask experts within your chosen field. Don’t feel embarrassed if you have less knowledge and power than they do. Perhaps you will even find a bonus; a lucky shot at a big project; you just never know what you will bump into.

Asking the right questions can perhaps be the most pivotal guide for your journey. You must unleash the doubts in your mind. So take the weight off your shoulders by asking the right people.

2. Be courageous

Failure is the result of the lack of will and commitment to perform an action. The less input you put in there will be no rewards or products at the end. Take baby steps towards your goal every chance you get. Those steps will eventually become strides and eventually you will be running towards your goal.

Furthermore, taking risks will become a habit, which isn’t a bad thing. Learning to take risks will give you more courage to tackle greater obstacles that lay in the path of your dream. Therefore you won’t fear failure; failure will only then become a learning experience for you. Courage is that voice at the end of the day that says keep trying so fall in love with the process and embrace the challenges of your dream.

3. Build a foundation

In Christopher Nolan movie INCEPTION “Ariadne is an Architect who designs the mazes that the dreams will use as their foundation, taking the opportunity offered by Cobb to create and build places that cannot exist in reality.” Likewise build your dream state in reality. Using certain tools, build your foundation by using all platforms such as social media, Facebook, twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, email, vlogs, YouTube.

Building your foundation will ensure that there is a firm base for your dream. Your dream is protected from doubts that may exist in your mind. The greater amount of resources you set your sights on the likelihood of your dream increases.

4. Plan ahead-don’t daydream

Sometimes the willpower diminishes by the numerous times you try to achieve something in life. The best way to get around this is to plan well ahead because planning ahead gives you confidence. This confidence can be used to react to challenges and adversities. Your whole life you have been planning for a particular moment; it can crumble within an instant if you fail to respond or act accordingly.

By planning ahead, you can identify the associated risks, weigh and categorize them, prioritize and create a response plan.  Therefore have a strategy for your dream. Put pen to paper and break it down; hours, days, months, years. Once the plan is ready, execute the plan with no fear of failure and you will see that the end results are rewarding. Planning and executing is a cycle that you have to keep consistent because not only does it affect the outcome but also fuels your enjoyment of the process and joys in life.

5. Dream big

Just pause for a second and think….. the accumulative effect of planning, executing, a foundation, the courage for your dream. Put all those together and is it not possible in achieving much more than you expected. Correctly so when you dream big you’ll enter a level of greatness.

Along your dream perhaps you will enter a new avenue and answer your true calling; a talent that you thought you never had. These hidden talents won’t be explored unless you dream big because when you step out of your comfort zone is the moment when you truly get to know yourself.

 “The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” – Oprah Winfrey

6. Believe your dreams will come true

The final piece for chasing your dream is the stern belief in yourself that you can achieve it. Don’t settle on smaller things; cultivate the energy on a daily basis to really go after what you want in life because your dreams do not need to remain dreams forever. The combination of a plan, its execution and inner belief are perhaps the spark in making your dream come alive.

When Awake, Ask Yourself “Am I Dreaming?”