We’ve decided to stop maintaining the status quo and start living the life we want.
We expressed gratitude and respect for our journey through life to this point.
We took time to dream about how we want this next phase of our life to look and feel.

Now, it may seem like the next logical step is to make those dreams happen. But nope. There’s actually so much more to do before actualizing our dreams. Today, we’re going to talk about one of my favorite things - research (I know, nerd moment). 

Research is a critical step before goal setting. It brings dreams down from an imaginary space to the realm of possibilities. It shows us how to make our dreams into reality. While it is arguably the most important step, it can also be the most overwhelming step. We all have had dreams that haven’t quite been realized. It’s because it can be so much easier to simply dream while staying in our comfort zone. Making our dreams a reality takes courage, hard work, and persistence. And the first step in courage is finding out what it takes to make achieve the dream. 

When researching, we’re looking for the skills, tools, or resources we need to achieve the dream. We need to know what’s needed to take action. So we ask ourselves questions like:

• Have I already achieved this? Am I close?

• Are there any costs?

• Do I need assistance or involvement from someone else?

• Do I need additional training or education?

• What tools or resources do I need?

Then, we’ll look at the method or process of achieving the dream. We need to know all of the steps involved in taking action. We ask ourselves questions like:

• Have I already started? Am I on my way?

• What steps are needed - from beginning to end?

• What costs are associated?

• What’s the likely timeline?

Knowing exactly what’s needed to take action in achieving our dreams will help us to make SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) goals. And according to science, SMART goals are the only effective way of setting goals.

Let’s do an example based on a fictional person who completed the envisioning worksheet from last week. Next to each life category, I noted things I need to gather information about.

After that, I personally spent several days (or even weeks) finding the answers to those questions. I searched Google, read books, and talked to friends and colleagues. As I gathered the answers, I made a note of them. It is important to write it down. We need to be able to see it, reference it regularly, and adjust it accordingly. So we can write it down on the worksheet or organize it all in an Excel Spreadsheet (like I do). Just to be sure to write it down.

I think it’s also important, during this research phase, to reflect as you research. You may find that something involves far more than you thought it did and is no longer appealing. Or that something isn’t at all what you thought it was. Or that it won’t have the result you expected it to and is no longer worth it. This is all a part of the process. Embrace it, and adjust accordingly. Dreams, just like our lives, are fluid. Let me a living, breathing thing, open to change.

How did your research go? Did it take longer than expected? Will the life your envisioning require less than you thought? Let me know in the comments. 

References:

https://www.scienceofpeople.com/goal-setting/