10 First Steps to Make Your Dreams Happen

The first step is always the hardest, so they say.

It’s the step that most people never take.

They never begin, and thus by default, they can never finish.

What first step do you need to take to make your dream happen?

The Step Never Taken

Everyone has a dream. Something they want to do or accomplish.

Yet, many never start the journey to make their dream a reality.

They never take the most important step… the first one.

Most people never take that step.

Either they are too afraid. Or too busy. Or too… whatever they need to tell themselves.

They don’t take the first step and their dream remains just an idea in their head.

“Dreams are just ideas, until you take the first step to make them happen.” (Tweet this Quote)

Success is a long road, the sooner you start the better.

You Have to Start With One Step

Every dream has to begin with one small step.

However, where to start can seem overwhelming. It can appear to be a momentous decision that you must get right.

Yet, nothing could be further from the truth. The first step doesn’t really matter in the long run. It just matters that you take it.

It can be a small inconsequential step. It can be a stumble or trip. It just has to be a first step forward towards your dream.

Here are 10 First Steps You Can Take Towards Your Dream:

1. Write Your Dream Down – Writing your dream down can be a great clarifying exercise. You will learn more about your dream: the details, the path, the work involved. You might even discover that your dream is different from what you thought it was.
2. Research Your Idea – You’ve had this dream in your head, but you don’t know where to start in the real world. Use the Internet to learn about the idea. You can research what others have done, and what opportunities exist.
3. Learn a Skill – What new skills will you need to make your dream happen? Again, the Internet is a treasure trove of training on any topic under the Sun. From e-learning courses to YouTube, you can find someone to teach you what you need to know. From blogging, to starting a business, to cooking, to gardening, it’s all out there.
4. Claim Your Land – Go out and claim the “space” for your dream. This step while minor can serve as a way to bring your dream into the real world. Reserve a domain name. Setup a website. Open a social media account in the name of your new endeavor or business. (If you don’t, you’ll find out later that someone else has already done so.)
5. Make a Map – A great way to brainstorm your dream is to make a mindmap. (If you don’t know how, watch this video I made a while back.) Sometimes a graphical representation brings to light connections and concepts that the simple written word does not.
6. Gather Your Tools – Whatever you are planning on doing, make sure you assemble your tool set. If you are going to start running, make sure you have shoes, clothes, etc. If you are going to be a writer, get a laptop and some simple writing apps. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, (I actually advise against that), but you need to have the appropriate gear to start your journey.
7. Ship Something – I always hear people say, I don’t want to put something out there until I am 100% ready. The truth is you are never 100% ready. Launch something. Ship something. Anything. Whether it is a blog post. A conversation. Or your first ebook. Get it out there.
8. Tell Someone Else – Get your idea out of your head by telling someone else about it. It not only brings accountability to your dream, but conversation can craft and mold your dream in new ways.
9. Make Time for Your Dream – One of the most common excuses for not starting is “not having enough time.” Make time for your dream. Pick a specific time each day that you will work on your project. It could be early in the morning before others are awake or whenever your schedule allows. It doesn’t matter as long as you set aside that time.
10. Start Anywhere – Don’t get hung-up on what your first step should be. It really does’t matter. Start anywhere. Later, it won’t matter what you did, as long as you took a first step.

The First Step is the Most Important

The first step is the one that most people never take.

Success is a long journey, you have to take that first step towards your dream.

In the future, when you look back at your initial efforts, you’ll probably laugh. You didn’t know what you were doing. You made amateur mistakes. You weren’t very skilled at what you were doing.

But you took that first step, which made all the next ones possible.

Question: What first step are you going to take towards your dream? You can leave a comment by clicking here.