Dream (Part 1):

Sometimes I find my dreams so tantalizing that I am nervous to chase them. The complexity and the potential for failure feels nearly paralyzing.

I think that a lot of people feel this way. Whatever you dream of - whether it is taking on an international volunteer project, graduating with stellar grades, or becoming a wildly influential leader - can feel intimidating at first.

Any honest entrepreneur will tell you that he or she periodically gets so anxious about their business, at least in the beginning, that they seriously consider calling it quits. It's happened to me more times than I care to admit.

Thinking about your dreams only to be overwhelmed by complexity and thoughts of failure is a terrible feeling. Fortunately it is also a false feeling.

World-changing leaders, volunteers who make real differences, and individuals who want to lead their lives passionately need to be able to chase their dreams.

Here are the first three steps to chasing and achieving your dreams.

Step 1: Clarify your dreams

Set aside time for yourself to dream. Modernity is filled with static and distraction. Find 45 minutes, dim the lights, eliminate the distractions, and allow yourself to dream wildly. Ignore the voices in your head that chime in saying "this isn't possible." When you find one of your real dreams, you'll know it. It may be traveling to Mexico to learn to surf (one of my current dreams), it may be to volunteer somewhere in Africa, or it may be to lose weight. Your dream is a personal thing - whether or not it fits within the norms of your friends, your family, or society doesn't really matter.

This is about you.

Many people will find that they have dreams but they are still a bit hazy, like the desire to improve the quality of life on earth. If this happens to you, then begin by brainstorming for different ways you can accomplish this dream. Exhaust yourself of all the ideas you can come up with. This should range from simple things like taking quicker showers to complex things like launching an international development lab. Once you've exhausted your imagination choose one or two of the ideas that seem most appealing to you.

Step 2: Contact someone who has been there

Once you have an idea of what you want to do, contact someone who has already achieved that dream and ask them how they did it. You'll be pleasantly surprised by how helpful random people are if you sincerely seek their advice and guidance.

Talking with someone who is experienced will make your path to success much more clear. They will be able to tell you where the bumps are along the road and how to overcome them. For specific instructions on setting up a meeting with someone like this, check out my recent article at University Affairs Magazine here.

Step 3: Break it down into actionable pieces

At this point you should have a solid dream to work on and some direction from the person you spoke with. But if you're like me you'll start to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of things associated with chasing a dream and you may feel like stopping before you have even really begun. Don't trust that instinct. Instead give yourself more clarity.

To eliminate the anxiety of taking on a complicated project, write down every single step, task, and thing, that you think you may have to do to make this dream a reality. Write until you're out of ideas.

Now take a step back. Look at everything you've written. You'll notice that through all the randomness you can find a natural order of actions to take. This order of actions will be the roadmap you use to accomplish your dream.

For example if your dream is to volunteer in Swaziland and an abbreviated list of things you need to do is: book flights, get shots, find an organization to volunteer with, and fundraise, then you can see that your first step is to find an organization to work with. This will drive how much fundraising you have to do, when your flights will be, etc.

Next month I'll discuss the two remaining tasks and share one habit that has been wildly influential on my own path. Until then, dream big!