“When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long -and so regretfully- upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.”

Alexander Graham Bell

Photo by Hamed Saber

One of the main reasons people lose sight of their dreams is because they lost enthusiasm. And they lose enthusiasm because it becomes boring, as their dreams are too easily achieved and don’t push the individual’s boundaries far enough.

The best way to keep yourself motivated and to unleash your vast potential is to dream really BIG dreams.

Here are a few tips to help you do so:

Conceive of numerous goals

Don’t create a list with five or ten goals, create a huge list with hundreds of goals. When you chase a dream you may realize it isn’t achievable at this exact moment, this extensive list will give you the option to go to another goal and give it a go. You won’t lose any excitement and you technically won’t be giving up on your dreams - you’ll still have them on your list for when you want to tackle them again.

Dream like a child

Children dream without any inhibitions. To most parents their children’s dreams are just that and usually brush them off as unrealistic. But if you want to achieve big goals you need to dream like when you were a child. May be even bring back your childhood dreams from your subconscious and add them to your list. You can also take those childhood dreams and modify them. Did you want to be an astronaut when you were a kid? Maybe you can change that and add a new goal to your list of going into space on Virgin Galactic.

Multiply the magnitude of your dreams

Do you have a dream of earning $1 million? Why not aim higher, say 10 or 100 million dollars. Even if you don’t want that much money, the journey to those amounts of money will be challenging and rewarding in many other ways. Take a few of your dreams from your list and make them even harder for you to achieve.

Decrease the time frames you’ve set

Many people dream of big goals but they push them off until later on in life. If you want to dream big then shorten the time you’ve given yourself to achieve those dreams. This’ll mean you have to take BIG steps towards your goals.

If you follow these tips, dream big, and take big and small steps you’ll be achieving big goals. Mediocre results are acquired when mediocre goals are set. So go and dream BIG!

Photo by A.K. Photography

“I am great believer in luck. The harder I work the more of it I seem to have.”

Coleman Cox

Photo by ArtBrom

“If you want something you’ve never had before, you’ve got to do something you’ve never done before.”

Drina Reed

Photo by Gustty

“The Three Grand Essentials to happiness in this life are

- something to do
- something to love
- and something to hope for”

Jose Addison

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“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”

Will Rogers

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“Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it.”

Winston Churchill

Photo by Luis Alves

We’ve all had those situations in which we wanted to hear someone say “yes” but we got a “no” instead. Most leave it at that but you shouldn’t, it’s not the end.

Here is what you can do to change a “no” into a “maybe,” “okay,” or a “yes.”

Prepare for a “no”

You should definitely be optimistic and expect a “yes” but also have a plan B ready if you do get a “no.” Sometimes there are small windows of opportunity seconds or minutes after a no is said that you don’t want to miss. Without a plan B, you most certainly will.

Keep the conversation alive

This also has to do with having a backup plan. You don’t want the conversation to go “cold,” and the person to quickly lose interest. It is best to respond to a “no” within anywhere from 30 seconds to a week. A longer than that and most people have already moved on.

Compromise

Find out why the person said “no” and see what they wanted you to say, do, or offer instead. Don’t give up what you want, but find a middle ground so that both of your needs are met.

Get the door slightly opened

With a compromise you’ll most likely turn a “no” into a “maybe” or an “I’ll think about it.” Once the door is slightly opened get your foot in there to keep it from closing. This is also a good time to keep the conversation alive. Ask a few more questions and some feedback from the person.

Indicate the pros for saying “yes”

Tell the no-sayer about all the positive things they will get from saying “yes” to you. In some instances there are selling points that people can’t see and you need to make them aware of those points.

Persist

Even if you’re trying to keep the conversation alive and the person isn’t responding to you, keep going. Write letters, send emails, or call her/him as often as you can without annoying or stalking them. Just like the rest of your journey to success you can’t give up. If you keep messaging them long enough, they are eventually going to respond to you. It may not be a positive response but at least you can know what you next step should be.

Once you get a “maybe,” “okay,” or a “yes” it still isn’t a done deal. You need to keep that “yes” from turning back into a “no.”

Reiterate the positives

Remind the person of all the great reasons why they said “yes” to you or your project.

Stay excited and enthusiastic

You can’t lose enthusiasm in yourself, the project, or whatever was given the yes. You will always be the one who is behind the project the most, so if you lose the excitement everyone else will follow.

Deliver

You must deliver on all the positives and promises you mentioned when it was still a no. If you can’t then that no could turn into something much angrier or it could turn into complete silence.

Be thankful

Be very thankful that the person gave you a “yes.” If this is a big deal, it could be the one chance that changes your life forever.

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“Write the bad things that happen to you in sand, but write the good things that happen to you on a piece of marble.”

Coleman Cox

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“Worrying is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you anywhere.”

Unknown

Photo by DeaPeaJay