When somebody talks about their dreams or ambitions, what comes into your head?
A bigger business?
More money?
A book with your name on the cover?
A qualification?
Some enormous milestone that you can proudly announce to the world?
Those can absolutely be dreams. But they aren’t the only kind.
I’ve been thinking recently about some of the things I’ve watched clients achieve.
For one person, becoming a published author and having their own ISBN number was an ambition.
I’ve watched Steph graduate with her MA and then go on to apply for a professorship.
I’ve watched newsletters go from something that needed to happen to something that actually went out — and, in one case, receive that exciting first response.
I’ve also watched a client realise that the relationship they’ve built with their clients means far more than simply the money changing hands.
They’re very different achievements.
And that’s rather the point.
What does the dream actually look like?
When I think about my own dreams, they’re probably not what you’d expect to find in a business plan.
I don’t have massive financial dreams for Focus Guru.
Of course I need the business to earn enough. Money matters. There are bills to pay and a life to fund.
But more and more and more isn’t what I’m aiming for.
I dream of having enough.
Enough money each month.
Enough time.
Enough freedom.
That’s really what having my time, my way means to me.
Time with Leo.
UK holidays.
Friendships.
Hobbies.
Laughter.
Support.
That’s the life I want my business to allow me to have.
For somebody else, success might be building a huge company, employing a team or reaching a particular turnover.
Great.
But it isn’t my dream. Because, just as there isn’t always a right and a wrong way to do something, there isn’t one correct version of success either.
And I think that’s an important distinction.
Does every dream need to be SMART?
We’re often told that goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.
There’s certainly a place for that.
But does every dream have to be SMART?
I don’t think it does.
How do I measure having enough laughter in my life?
What’s the deadline for maintaining good friendships?
How do I put a number against having time with Leo or enjoying my hobbies?
Some dreams are financial or professional.
Some are emotional.
Some are about wellbeing.
Some are about family, friendships or simply how you want your everyday life to feel.
Not everything that matters can — or should — be squeezed into a measurable target.
Perhaps the dream doesn’t need to be SMART.
The steps you take towards it might be.
But it does need to be your dream
There’s something else that’s important.
The dream has to be yours.
Not something you’re aiming for because somebody else has told you that’s what success looks like.
And it needs to be based on the things you can control.
You can’t make somebody else behave differently.
You can’t guarantee that every opportunity will work out exactly as you want it to.
But you can decide what you want your own life or business to look like.
Then you can start identifying the things you can do to move towards it.
That might mean making a big change.
Or it might mean lots of very small ones.
You don’t necessarily have to get there alone
Sometimes the difficult part isn’t achieving the dream.
It’s identifying what the dream actually is.
You might know that something needs to change, but not quite know what you want instead.
Or perhaps you know exactly what you want, but it feels too big to tackle.
That’s when seeking help can make a difference. Sometimes somebody else can see the route forward that you can’t see for yourself.
They might help you identify what you’re actually trying to achieve.
They might help you break it down into manageable steps.
Or perhaps you’ve already done all of that and what you really need is some accountability to make sure those steps actually happen.
Accountability isn’t about somebody else deciding what you should achieve.
It’s about helping you move towards something you have decided matters.
Because realistic doesn’t have to mean small.
And ambition doesn’t have to mean earning more, growing bigger or constantly chasing the next thing.
Sometimes the dream is simply having enough.
Enough money.
Enough time.
Enough people around you.
Enough laughter.
Enough of the things that make your life feel like yours.
So, what does your dream actually look like?