In our post, From Dream to…, we continued the journey we have embarked on to explore different dimensions of the realm of dream delivery.
It’s always good to have dreams, and it’s even better to let them see the light of reality.
We humans have been endowed with very special gifts. Two of those gifts are of inherent importance: Intention and attention.
The conscious human intention is attributed to awareness, something other species don’t have. In the animal kingdom, for example, efforts are solely driven by instinct. We, on the other hand, have the capacity to choose, and then act on our choices, sometimes clear of the influence of instinct.
For an intention to unfold, attention has to be on its side. We need to ‘see’ the way before us, and continuously align our advancement to our intentions. Otherwise, instinct takes charge, leading a way that is not necessarily the same one we set off to traverse. That’s what renders most intentions unrealized. A sure prescription for disappointment.
Our focused attention on the intention should be dynamic. As we keep the original vision clear, crisp and infused in the work we do, we consistently observe the activities, making sure they align and have a good potential of leading to our intention. Why a ‘good potential?’ Because the future is, by its very nature, uncertain. We need to keep our options open at all times in the face of the unpredictable.
No matter how big and far an intention seems, reaching the top of that mountain is simply a walk; one step at a time. As important as knowing our intention is figuring out what those ‘steps’ are.
Usually, at the beginning it might be difficult to know the steps and how they align to lead to the desired result. We need a good estimate of the main building blocks of the ‘project’ at hand. As we start taking action, more details unfold, helping us adjust our course.
Depending on the complexity of the undertaking, this might grow into a quite large web of interrelated activities. That’s where project management methods and tools would come in handy.
Pick the system that makes sense to you. As this may become a daily companion, try selecting something that is fun and exciting to use.
I use a tool called Quire. Simple and effective. You can start with a single idea, then grow it into a plan by breaking it down into smaller ideas gradually, nestling levels of complexity within each other, in a parent-child configuration. This helps you focus on one thing at a time without losing sight of the bigger context immediately above it, or all the way back to the original single idea.
At any given point in time, you can see what is due today, tomorrow, and later, as well as what is overdue from previous stages.
How can that lead to realizing a dream? What if we get swamped by the details and lose sight of what we really want to achieve?
It’s possible to get derailed, ending up in a perpetual cycle of to-do lists that do not seem to finish. A common reality of so many people all over the planet.
To effectively avoid that, we must have our attention on the intention at all times. For example, we can commit to weekly, monthly, and annual alignment reviews, making sure what we do on a daily basis does not sway our ship adrift from the destination.
In the next post we will conclude this series with an example that links the dots together, in a way that help streamline the implementation of the concept.
Stay tuned.
The Wealth Maker
Image Credit: Todd Quackenbush on Unsplash
The Wealth Maker 