Why is it that some people talk endlessly about their dreams and goals but never seem to attain them, while others seem to have a long list of achievements under their belts? What makes one person more likely to attain their goals while another might remain endlessly stuck in daydream land?
The key difference between them is that highly ambitious people do certain things to make their goals a reality, while perpetual dreamers do not. The actions listed below make all the difference between attaining a goal and simply talking about it.
1. They can alchemize the abstract into a tangible plan.
SMART goals aren’t just cool things for ambitious people to consider: they take a dream and turn it into a solid goal map to follow in order to get to where they want to be.
Whereas many dreamers have grandiose aspirations of things they’d like to do when and if all the stars align in their favor, they rarely have the focus or the drive to make those a reality. In contrast, highly ambitious people take their plan from paper to reality with a combination of firm planning, innovation, hard work, and sheer willpower.
2. They’re not afraid of risking failure to achieve their goals.
One of the safest and most comfortable places for a dreamer to be is in imagination land. When they’re dreaming about all the things they’ll be able to do once they achieve a particular goal, the world is full of promise for them. The only thing that could truly hurt them is if they try to achieve that goal and fail. As a result, they choose to remain in an unfulfilled dreamland rather than risk potentially failing at the thing that means the most to them.
Here’s an example: years ago, I had a friend who fawned over a celebrity she admired and dreamed of working on one of their humanitarian projects one day. I was working in the entertainment industry at the time, and I offered to introduce her to this celebrity when I had the chance. She adamantly refused, muttering about not meeting one’s heroes. The opportunity had been right there, but she refused to damage her dream with the risk of potential letdown, even though there was a much higher chance of success instead.
3. They attain the correct skill sets and materials to make their dreams a reality.
If you want to prepare a particular recipe, you gather together all the requisite tools and ingredients so you have everything you need to cook and serve it. Those who possess ambition and drive approach everything they want in life in the same way: they determine what it is they’ll need to make their dream a reality, and then acquire those needs systematically.
For instance, if a person wants to be a librarian, they’ll research the degrees needed to attain that position and then ensure that they excel in school so they can attain a position in their chosen field. Similarly, if someone wants to be a guitarist in a band, they’ll listen to a ton of music in the genre they like, buy a guitar, take lessons, and then either join or form a band. They create a critical path action plan so they achieve exactly what they want.
4. They weave the right connections.
Having skills is of great importance, but so is the ability to make the right connections to get where you want to be. This is why highly ambitious people make a point of schmoozing with the right crowd: so they can either connect directly with those who can help them attain their goals, or meet those who can make those introductions for them.
Some people might assume that only boisterous extroverts will succeed in this endeavor, leaving ambitious introverts in the dust, but this isn’t the case at all. People can communicate and weave their social webs online or in small groups, as well as at parties or fundraising events.
5. They admit ignorance so they can learn.
None of us is born knowing everything, and even the most skilled masters are fully aware that they still have more to learn. At least, those who are actually masters and have cultivated modesty and grace alongside their skill sets. As soon as someone feels that there’s nothing more for them to learn, that attitude becomes a hindrance rather than a boon in their favor.
They might be arrogant enough to think that their mastery will awe everyone around them and open all the doors that they want to walk through, but people tend to appreciate honesty and humility more than self-aggrandizing behavior.
Additionally, a person is much more likely to achieve their dreams if they set aside room for new knowledge and skill attainment. There are always new (or different) ways of doing things, and by keeping their heart and minds open to new possibilities, they might make enormous headway towards the dreams they aim to fulfill.
6. They embrace the tortoise rather than the hare.
Some people have great dreams that they’d love to attain, but they lack the resilience and wherewithal to keep on keeping on when things get difficult or boring. They want to achieve success as quickly as possible, and are prone to giving up when things don’t proceed as quickly as they’d like.
Highly ambitious people recognize that a slower, albeit relentless pace is far more likely to help them achieve success than a frenzied attempt that results in burnout and ennui. They know how to pace themselves well for continuous forward momentum. This allows them the time and space to rest, regroup, and even redirect their energy efficiently, instead of going all out, losing momentum, and giving up.
“Gutta cavat lapidem, non vi sed saepe cadendo.”
(The drop of water hollows the stone, not with force but by falling often.)
– Ovid
7. They make responsibility a higher priority than pleasure.
How many times have you heard people you know say that they really wanted to get X chore or responsibility done that day, but their friends wanted to meet up at the pub, or there was a TV show they wanted to catch up on, and they can always take care of that responsibility later? You’ve likely heard this countless times, but how often have those people actually caught up on the things they postponed for a later date?
Highly ambitious people rarely procrastinate and place responsibility as a much higher priority than pleasure or entertainment. They willingly sacrifice temporary amusement or instant gratification for the much bigger prize that they’re working towards.
Furthermore, they show fierce dedication and loyalty to their own commitments: if they decide that they’re going to achieve a goal that day, they’ll meet that goal unless they have a severe issue or a family crisis erupts. Attaining their dream means too much to them to risk sabotaging with ephemeral, unimportant titillation.
Final thoughts…
There’s nothing wrong with being a dreamer. In fact, a lot of people need their dreams in order to keep moving them forward. Problems arise, however, when those people decide that they want to make their dreams a reality, don’t put real plans into action, and then blame others for keeping them from attaining their goals.
The stark reality is that few people have as much time as they think they do, and there’s no time like the present to take the steps to make their dreams come true. Procrastinating won’t achieve anything: either do or do not.
