Today you will learn what dreams, hopes, and aspirations are, why they are important to have for living a life of purpose, and the how to process for uncovering your dreams, hopes, and aspirations.
Summary
What are Dreams, Hopes, & Aspirations?
Dreams are not just merely unattainable thoughts about what life could.
Dreams are an image of the best possible future we can conceive for ourselves based on our limited understanding of who we are and our circumstances. They aim at the highest possible thing we could create for ourselves in this world.
Dreams consist of two things:
Goals, or objectives for which we aim our actions and behaviors towards, either to attain something (in this case a better life) or to become something.
An image of who we believe we could become, the best, most ideal version of ourselves
When we dream about our future, we are answering the questions of:
What do I want in life?
Who am I now?
Who do I want to be?
Who would I have to become to achieve that life I want?
Why are Dreams important to purpose?
Goals are important because they help you to aim your actions and behaviors towards something you want in life. But these are stepping stones to something larger, a dream, a vision for what you want your life to be.
If you spend time imagining what your life could be like, who you could become, in the best conceivable manner possible, you gain the benefit of being able to single mindedly aim everything in your life towards that vision.
Life is unpredictable. Along the way you will have to change goals and strategies for navigating life. But by understanding your dreams, hopes, and aspirations you are never lost, because you know what you’re aiming at and can easily change goals or strategies to reaching that aim.
How to discover your Dreams
Most people have never been asked to contemplate the question: "What do you hope to achieve in your life and what kind of person do you want to be?"
To answer this question and turn dreams from repetitive thoughts and fantasies into reality, we must get them out of your head onto paper so we can work with them and create a framework for building a vision of your life. We will accomplish through a journaling exercise.
Exercise: Future Authoring Program
The Future Authoring Program is designed to help you imagine your ideal future three to five years down the road. You will answer the question of what would your life be like if you could set it up in the manner, that would be best for you.
You will be asked to consider the people you admire, things you could do better, your educational and career goals, what habits you would like to improve, your family life, your social network and your leisurely activities.
Then you will be asked to write freely about your ideal future, without regard for grammar or spelling for 15 to 20 minutes. In this process, it's best to use your imagination to daydream, to think big during the process.
After that, you'll be taken through a a series of exercises that will help you specify in detail, your ideal future by summarizing your goals, evaluating your motives, and considering their personal and social impact strategizing for their attainment, identifying potential obstacles and their solutions, monitoring your progress and evaluating your decisions.
Note: As we will use all the journaling exercises in this program in upcoming lessons, I recommend buying the entire Self Authoring Suite ($29.90). If you already purchased the Self Authoring Suite in the lesson on Day 6: Personality, then you do not need to purchase it again.
Activity
Complete theFuture Authoring Program or freely consider "What do you hope to achieve in your life and what kind of person do you want to be?" addressing the multiple aspects listed in the exercise above.
Skill Lesson Mastered
Demonstrate mastery of the knowledge and skills presented in this lesson by applying it to the above activity. If, and only if, you have a full understanding and have masteredthe knowledge and skills presented in this lesson, select the next lesson in the navigation.
Did You Get Value From This Lesson?
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