We’ve spent a few episodes talking about the process of turning a dream to a goal and then taking action on it. Sometimes it helps to hear examples of how a process works. This episode is a walk-through of the Dream to Done process applied, step by step, to two examples.
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Step by Step – Apply the Dream to Done Process
This episode is a continuation of the Dream to Done mini-series. If you haven’t yet listened to the series so far, check out:
- Episode 125: some of the things that hold us back from pursuing our dreams.
- Episode 126: the difference between dreams and goals, and how to turn a dream into a goal.
- Episode 127: what to do once we’ve created a goal, how to make time to take action on it, and how to motivate ourselves to keep going until we’ve completed it.
During the series, there have been several conversations in the TPW Community Facebook group about how to manage a project–how to break it down into its component parts and manage all those parts, and how to actually get it all done. We will be talking about those concepts in upcoming episodes.
In this week’s episode I take the process we’ve talked about so far in the Dream to Done mini-series and apply it step by step to specific situations and examples, so you can hear how I envision this working if I were taking one of my dreams into a goal I could take action on.
Refresher on the Steps
Step 1 – Envision the outcome.
Step 2 – Understand your why.
Step 3 – Identify the obstacles.
Step 4 – Brainstorm strategies.
Step 5 – Turn the strategies into your to-do list.
Step 6 – Put it on your calendar.
Step 7 – Write the overall goal as a SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goal.
Example Project One: Family Vacation
Step 1 – Envision the outcome:
This will be different for every person/family. What do you picture as the ideal family vacation? Resting by a pool or on the beach? Schussing down the slopes of a mountain somewhere? Exploring historic sites? Zip lining? Spend some time really thinking about this. What, to you, would be a perfect vacation? If your family is involved, you will want to get their input.
What is the outcome you’re looking for? Adventure? Rest? Personal improvement? Family bonding? Romance? Always ask yourself what you want.
How do you want to feel during and after? When you look back on the vacation, how do you want to feel?
“You’ve got to know where you’re going to develop a roadmap to get there.”
Step 2 – Understand your why:
Why do you want a vacation? Why this vacation?
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- Do you need refreshment and restoration so you can go back to work energized?
- Do you want to make memories for yourself or your family?
- Are you motivated to simply get away from stresses of everyday life?
- Do you want to reconnect with your spouse or kids?
Step 3 – Identify the obstacles:
This isn’t about focusing on the negative and getting discouraged, but about preparing yourself. No matter who we are or what we want to accomplish, there are obstacles that come between us and the outcomes we want. The secret to achieving our objectives and goals is to anticipate those obstacles and be prepared to deal with them.
Some potential obstacles to our dream family vacation?
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- Conflicting schedules
- Limited time off from work and/or school
- Family disagreement about the ideal vacation or different interests
- Work crises interrupting your vacation time
- Budget constraints
- Uncooperative weather
Step 4 – Brainstorm strategies:
If budget constraints are a potential obstacle, how could we make/find/free up the money to pay for the vacation we want?
- Cut household expenses
- Take a second job
- Have a garage sale
- Start saving money now
- Research travel bargains online, and find blogs and sites dedicated to travel deals
If getting family members with different interests and preferences to buy in is a potential obstacle, how can we overcome resistance?
- Call a family meeting to give everyone a chance to be heard, and brainstorm ideas about the destination, activities, etc.
- Assign different pieces of the planning to different family members. This will help to get their buy-in while sharing the workload of vacation prep.
If work schedules need to be dealt with . . . deal with them. Prepare to talk to your boss or clients. Negotiate the schedule.
Look at each potential obstacle you’ve identified, and brainstorm strategies for overcoming it.
Step 5 – Turn the strategies into a to-do list:
Make sure what you put on the list is all the tasks and only tasks. (No mini-projects. We’ll talk about that more in episode 130.)
You likely will add to the task list as you go along.
Consider putting them in order (e.g. if some tasks require completion of others first), but don’t spend a lot of time organizing your list. The idea is to take action and get these things done.
Step 6 – Look at your calendar and schedule when you will work on this:
You now have the master to-do list, and the pieces you will be working on, and now you need to schedule the time on the calendar to actually work on the tasks that make up this project.
Step 7 – Write the goal as a SMART goal:
In this example, perhaps my main goal is something like this: I will take a 7-day vacation with my husband and children in 2017, at a place we all enjoy, without going into debt, because I want to make memories with my family.
A big goal like this one actually will likely be comprised of a series of smaller goals / mini-projects, such as:
- Settle on a budget
- Choose a destination
- Choose dates
- Arrange transportation
- Arrange lodging
- Packing
- Enlist people or services to take care of home/pets
- Arrange coverage for work responsibilities
Example Project Two: Change Jobs
Step 1 – Envision the outcome:
Ask yourself a series of questions to help crystallize exactly what you want to accomplish:
- What kind of job do you want? Be as precise as possible.
- Working hours
- Working environment (office? home? cubicles? outdoors?)
- Envision how you spend your days.
- What industry do you want to work in?
- Do you prefer a big company / small company / your own business?
- Are you hoping for a new position in the same company, or do you want something completely different?
- What is your target income?
- Do you prefer working alone or with teams?
Step 2 – Understand your why:
Why do you want to change jobs?
Why do you want the specific kind of job you envisioned in the first step? Really think about why. There is no right or wrong answer–just look deep and be honest with yourself about why you are doing it.
Step 3 – Identify the obstacles:
- Fear of something new
- Don’t know who to contact or where to find the kind of job you would like
- Not sure what you want to do
- The kind of job you want doesn’t exist in your locale
- Tendency to procrastinate
Step 4 – Brainstorm strategies to overcome the obstacles:
- Find and hire a career coach.
- Research job options online.
- Get an accountability partner.
- Take some aptitude testing (if you’re not sure what you want to do, can help you narrow the field).
- Schedule some informational interviews.
- Evaluate whether moving is an option.
- If the job you have in mind isn’t available in your area, consider variations on that job.
Step 5 – Turn the strategies into a to-do list:
Again, make sure what’s on that to-do list is all tasks, not mini-projects.
Step 6 – Put it on your calendar:
Make an appointment with yourself to take action on that to-do list . . . and be prepared to honor that commitment.
Step 7 – Write the goal as a SMART goal:
Example: I will identify and apply for x positions, with a goal of changing jobs by July 1.
Conclusion
The process is basically the same for whatever goal you are wanting to achieve, but it’s fluid, depending on the type of project. These are just a couple of examples of how I would apply the process.
Special thanks to women in TPW Community Facebook group for their response in the group to my question about challenging project types. Thanks to: Emily, Amanda, Betsy, Carol, Traci, Caroline, Kelley, Jessica, Brandi, Mònika, Coryne, Susan, Reema, Sue, Emma, and Layla. They offered great suggestions and gave me some good ideas that I’ll be addressing in future episodes.
What do you think?
Any questions about the process? Will you share a goal you’ll apply this process to? Share your comments and questions in the comments section below or in the TPW Community Facebook group . . . or email me!
Announcements & Reminders
- If you’d like help in working through this process on your dream or goal, consider scheduling a one-on-one session with me. This is a new service I’m offering in addition to the mastermind groups. I’ll be updating the Work with Me page soon to include more information about working with me one-on-one, but in the meantime, if you’d like information about the options and pricing, email me. I’d love to work with you.
- I have a few openings in my schedule this year for speaking engagements. If your group, club, organization, or event would benefit from a conversation about productivity and making a life that matters, let’s discuss how I could add value through a presentation, keynote, or workshop. Email me!
- Thank you to our sponsor, FreshBooks. Be sure to check out the 30-day unrestricted free trial they’re offering TPW listeners by visiting at FreshBooks.com/WOMAN. Please enter “The Productive Woman” in the “How did you hear about us?” section.
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