10 Questions To Put Your Dream To The Test

•  Print This
• Stumble This
• Digg This
• Share on Delicious
• Share on Facebook
• Tweet This
• Tags: book, dream, maxwell, plan, strategy, vision

Will your dream ever get off the ground?

Many of us have dreams we would like to pursue.  The question is will we ever do anything to make our dreams a reality?

John C. Maxwell in Put Your Dream to the Test: 10 Questions that Will Help You See It and Seize It helps us evaluate whether we are ready to successfully launch a pursuit of our dream.  This is truly the best book I have ever read on this subject.

Maxwell doesn’t just pump you up with a bunch of motivational enthusiasm.  He asks tough questions that will really help you judge just how likely you are to achieve your dream.  This is the kind of stuff a true mentor should be asking us to see if we are being realistic or just engaged in wishful thinking.

We all have dreams we want to one day realize

Everyone has a dream.  We all have a vision of what we want in the future.  Your dream may involve one or more of the following:

• Opening your own business
• Becoming a actor or actress
• Writing a book
• Traveling around the world
• Becoming a recording artist
• Retiring to the lake or beach
• Raising a successful family
• Getting married
• Accumulating a fortune
• Winning an Olympic Medal

Your dream may be bigger or smaller than those listed above.  It doesn’t matter.  The bottom line is that it won’t happen until you decide to make it so, but before you do I highly recommend considering Maxwell’s questions to give yourself a reality check.

1.  Is my dream really my dream?

Sometimes our so-called dreams are visions planted in our heads by others like our parents or spouses.  You are only going to accomplish your dream if you take full ownership of it.  Dreams don’t come easy and if it isn’t 100% yours, then you’ll likely give up before you see it through.  Is your dream really yours?

2.  Do I clearly see my dream?

You must have a clear and vivid picture of exactly where you’re going before you depart.  You are likely going to need to inspire others to help you along the way to achieve your dream.  This is only possible if you know exactly where you are headed.  A clear vision will help you stay on track and motivate others to join you in your quest.

3.  Am I depending on factors within my control to achieve my dream?

Luck is not what makes dreams come true.  Sorry to burst that bubble!  It takes a lot of hard work, determination and perseverance to see a dream through to fruition.  Dreams are all about aiming high, but they also must have a dose of reality.  Dreams need to be anchored in our areas of greatest strength and talent.  For example, if you can’t sing, then there is no way you are going to win American Idol.  Some of us just don’t have a singing voice and there is nothing we can do to change that.  Is your dream rooted in reality?

4.  Does my dream compel me to follow it?

Are you so passionate about your dream that you have no choice but to pursue it?  There are usually a lot of potholes and detours on the way to achieving a dream.  Passion is the fuel that drives you forward and keeps you going even when times are tough.  Would you pursue your dream even if no money, fame or admiration were involved?  Are you being lured by the fantasy of success or is this truly what you’ve always wanted?

5.  Do I have a strategy to reach my dream?

You must have a well thought out plan to reach your dream.  It must be definite and clear.  A dream without a strategy is just wishful thinking.  It has no legs.  It isn’t going anywhere.  The more complete your plan is for achieving your dream, the more likely it is that you will get there.  What is your strategy for reaching your dream?

6.  Have I included the people I need to realize my dream?

Dreams are big and therefore cannot be pursued alone.  It always takes other people to help a person reach their dream.  Do you have the right people on your team?  You need people that inspire you, challenge you and complement your skills to help you make your dream a reality.  You’ve got to be able to transfer the vision of your dream to others and successfully recruit them to get you where you want to go.  Do you have a dream team?

7.  Am I willing to pay the price for my dream?

Every dream has a cost.  There is a price you must be willing to pay.  There are many sacrifices along the path to achieving a dream.  Have you counted up these costs and considered them?  Is your dream worth the cost?  This is a valid question.  A dream might take too much time away from your family to pursue.  It might involve too much financial risk.  It might cost you your privacy.  The cost will likely be more than you think.  Are you willing to pay the price?

8.  Am I moving closer to my dream?

It often takes years to achieve a dream.  Dreams are realized by taking at least one step every day toward their fulfillment.  What have you done lately to move toward your dream?  Have you given up?  Do you have the grit necessary to achieve your dream?  Look at what might be holding you back and be sure you have the tenacity it will take to conquer your dream.  Are you closer to your dream today than yesterday?

9.  Does working toward my dream bring satisfaction?

Maxwell points out that a great dream is about more than just the destination, it is about the journey.  You should find fulfillment in pursuing your dream, not frustration.  Working toward your dream should energize you, not drain you.  You have to love the journey to reach the dream.  Does pursuing your dream bring you satisfaction or zap your strength?

10.  Does my dream benefit others?

A dream has to have significance to be worth it in the long run.  At first, it might be all about you, but over time a dream that doesn’t benefit others will lose steam and die.  When your dream has significance it takes on a life of its own.  Others will buy into your dream if they see its benefits.  How does your dream benefit others?

Put your dream to the test to see if it holds up to scrutiny

How did you answer the 10 questions?  Maxwell says that if you can’t answer yes to most, if not all, of them, then you might need to re-evaluate your dream.

I highly recommend reading Put Your Dream to the Test to explore the viability of your dream further.  Maxwell provides a lot of great guidance in the book to help you accurately answer his 10 questions. 

I especially appreciate his down-to-earth, practical approach to this subject.  So often, when authors talk about dreams, they fill you with the old “if you can dream it, you can achieve it” mentality, but Maxwell doesn’t do that.  He provides real-world guidance that I believe is valuable to anyone wanting to pursue a dream.  Read the book!

What is your dream and how’d you do on the questions?  Leave me a comment and let me know!

Photo by zenera