Aim for the Future ... but don't get ulcers waiting for it to happen!
Author: Edward B. Toupin

It is always good to aim for a vision, to pursue a goal, and make your dreams come true. However, there's a difference between chasing your dreams and anticipating the outcome of the dreams. The main idea behind dreaming and pursuing your goals is to provide a sense of direction with positive action. One mistake many people make is that, once they define a vision and set goals, they just sit there and wait for something to happen. They wait for what "will" happen instead of enjoying and participating in what "is" happening. To make fulfilling, don't anticipate the future ... live in the present and work to attain your dreams of the future.

--- It'll be great, when ... ---

When will it be great? When the great event happens? When the vision shows itself? The problem is that, when this great expectation comes about, you'll be so frustrated from waiting that you'll miss it. On the other hand, by simply sitting there and waiting, the event may never happen because you didn't do anything to make it happen. Basically, you were busy waiting instead of busy doing.

One of the big mistakes that people make is that they live in a world that doesn't yet exist. They make lofty goals and have big dreams then they place all of their feelings, emotions, and being into what they "think" it will be like when their dreams come true. In fact, the dream may never come true, or it will change. Perhaps, you will realize that the dream you were chasing is not what you wanted in the first place. However, you'll never know if you just sit there and wait.

As you wait for this spectacular moment to occur, you're missing out on everything that's happening now. You're missing out on life. This is where the frustration comes into the picture. You know you'll feel different in the future, but at this moment, you feel rotten, lost, or disenchanted. Part of the reason is because you're betting on something that may never happen. The other reason is that you're not actively doing anything to achieve the goals that sit in your future.

--- Aim for it, don't anticipate it! ---

When you feel that your life is not moving the way you want it to, you need to reevaluate your life and set a target. This target is the vision of where you want to be, or see yourself, in the future. Once you know your vision, you have to establish a mission, or a plan of attack, to reach your vision. Your goals are then the steps along the mission and the actions that you must execute to perform the mission successfully.

Over the years, I've found that a vision in the future is a moving target. You can't expect to anticipate something that only exists as a dream of what you would like to be. The future changes based on your experiences, your knowledge, and your changing beliefs and desires. As it changes, holding on to something you once wanted only holds you back. You have to execute your goals to reach your vision and be ready to change your path and your mission when your vision changes.

--- What's next? ---

I once wrote this screenplay called "The Chamber." It was about a teleportation project gone awry. One of the strange side effects of the teleportation process was that the character ended up in the future, by several seconds, because of a temporal shift that occurred. When someone traveled via the chamber, they were, literally alone, in the future, for a period of time until the rest of the world caught up to them. Sadly, if you aim into the future and wait for something to happen, then you too are living in a non-existent time with nothing and no one else around.

Take the time to smell the roses. Slow it down a bit and take stock in what is going on now and not what "might" happen in the future. You're missing out on the world that you're creating if you're too anxious to be in a world that doesn't yet exist. This causes frustration, loss of direction and, in some cases, loss of desire. Realize that once you set yourself up and begin your mission to your vision, the idea is to enjoy the journey. Feel the fulfillment of accomplishing your goals along the way. When your life is directed at an objective, you're better able to control those things that would otherwise affect you. Aim for the future. Don't anticipate the possibilities as they're not yet here.








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Edward B. Toupin is a writer and coach living in the "Entertainment Capital of the World." His inspirational and motivational works, for career and life fulfillment, help individuals realize their potential and establish the directions that will bring them the most fulfillment. His upcoming e-book, "Aligning Your Life," steps through a plan to help you organize your life to reach your vision. You can contact Edward at etoupin@toupin.com or http://www.toupin.com.

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