What are the dreams of your heart? Steven Covey says, “Start with the end in mind.”

As we develop into adults we sometimes get too busy to dream. It is a shame  really because our dreams can propel us to new heights that would not be achieved in any other way. Maybe you dream of that perfect retirement spot, or establishing a program for charity, or building a business that is truly strong enough to pass on to your children, or destination travel. The fact is that most of us get so busy just living our day to day lives that we stop thinking about our dreams as a real possibility.

I for one want to kick off 2011 striving toward my dreams. That gives me the BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal). With the end dream in mind I can break down my goals to meet that end. In other words if I want to be living my dream in 10 years, then I need a 10 year plan to reach my dream!

So today I need to set out a 10 year plan further broken down into a 5 year, 1 year, and 1 month plan. The idea is that at each step of the plan I need to ask how this step gets me to the end dream 10 years from now. Decision making is easier because if something does not make sense for my 10 year dream then it is thrown out the window.

I picture goals as steps along the way that complete my plan which takes me to my dream. To me goals are not something that I set much higher than I can achieve. Instead they should be set so that I really have to stretch to get there, but not out of reach. I want to stand on my tip toes and stretch as far as I can and just touch them with my finger tips!

Additionally, we need to remember that our plan needs to be well rounded because when I reach my dream in 10 years I want to be healthy, financially able, spiritually well rounded and have friends and loved ones to share my dreams with!

So, what are the dreams of your heart?