Big Goals versus Small Goals: What’s the difference?
Big Goals versus Small Goals: What’s the difference?
Last week I attended a workshop run by Jack Canfield and he shared this quote from General Wesley Clark:
“It doesn’t take any more effort to dream a big dream, than it does to dream a small dream.”
Gulp. I mean he’s right. It doesn’t take any more effort to dream big. So what is the difference?
In over two decades of helping women and leaders face change, the difference I see is that sometimes the effort comes more in the steps to make it a reality. Notice that I say sometimes., Beacuse it’s not always the case. But the fear of it being true is, in actual fact, what stops us from dreaming big. We put the brakes on before we even get started. We start to get scared that we can’t do it. Our imagination runs riot and tells us that we’ll fail, so it’s best not to even imagine the thing in the first place. The part of our mind that wants to keep us safe says ‘hang on a second, that sounds risky!’
When have you found yourself dreaming about something big - maybe in your work or personal life. Then that inner voice kicks in and starts listing all the reasons why you can’t. Your dream dies before it even gets it’s first glimpse of daylight.
Jack’s experience and the experience I have in both my own life and that of my clients, is that dreaming big is always, always worth it. If you reach for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.
I think I’ve always had pretty big dreams, but I’m constantly challenging myself to dream bigger. To keep pushing the boundaries. Another mentor of mine also challenged me to think small but perfectly formed, which is also a gift. Because bigger isn’t always better. At some stages of our life what we need is to really listen to our inner voice and start to focus in on the things closest to us.
Where are you dreaming this year? Is 2022 a year of big, bold, change the world dreams? Or is it the year of tiny, right-sized dreams that could equally change your world?
How do I dream big?
You might be thinking, that’s ok, but I don’t even know how to dream big. Here are three ways to get started:
Dare to Dream: Let yourself start to imagine what might be possible for you. Go for a walk and let your thoughts run wild. Create a vision board of your biggest life. Make a list of 100 things you’d like to do if anything was possible. Start to dream. You can do this!
Connect: Maybe your horizons have always been close, and you don’t have any role models for the bigger dreams you have a sense of. That’s perfectly ok. If you have that small voice inside you that’s saying it’s time for more, I can tell you that it’s time to listen to it. Start to connect with others outside your current personal and professional circles - either online or in real life. Join an online group of people who are doing things in a similar area to your interests. If you currently go to a yoga class but wonder what it might be like to train as a yoga teacher - talk to your current teacher and find out how they got started. Or if you’re already a yoga teacher and can see yourself running a yoga studio, find out who runs the local yoga studios and have a chat with them. Some of you will be scared of the idea of asking for help so I’ll write another blog post on that, because it is a big issue for many women. For now, trust me that people want to help other people and most people are flattered to be asked to share their story and give advice.
Share: Start to talk about your big dreams. And, although it might sound counter-intuitive, don’t start with the people closest to you. Start with random people who won’t have any views about you personally. Tell them what you’re dreaming of. Practice saying the words out loud. Begin by writing it in a journal if you need to. Later on you can tell the people who matter in your life, but the chances are that they might want to keep you ‘safe’ too and they may have an even longer list of why it won’t work, so save them for once you’ve built your confidence!
I’m writing this on a plane, about 35,000 feet above the Appalachian Mountains, on my way to a retreat in Nashville, TN. I dared to dream of writing a book and surrounding myself with other specialists and experts to make it happen. It’s becoming a reality. If I’d kept my dreams small it would never have happened. What can you dare to dream?
