A dream can give us something to look forward to. It can excite us and inspire us. It can even change the way we see ourselves and the possibilities around us. However, a dream on its own does not tell us what to do next.
At some point, we have to think. This may sound obvious, but I believe thinking is one of the most underestimated parts of achievement.
We often celebrate the dream and the eventual achievement. We talk about people who had a vision and those who eventually succeeded in making it happen. What we do not always see is the thinking that connects the two.
Behind many meaningful achievements are people who spent time asking questions, examining possibilities, challenging assumptions, considering alternatives and working out what might make their dream possible.
That is why, in the Dream and Achieve journey, I place ‘Think’ between ‘Dream’ and ‘Act’: Dream → Think → Act → Achieve
The dream gives us a direction. Thinking helps us understand what that direction might require.
A DREAM NEEDS THOUGHT
There is a difference between having a dream and simply wishing that something would happen.
A wish can remain in our imagination. A dream that we genuinely want to pursue demands something more from us. Then we can begin to examine it. What is it that I really want? Why does it matter to me? What difference would achieving it make? What might it require? What could prevent it? What would I need to learn? Who might I need to work with?
These questions do not diminish a dream. They give it substance.
Thinking is how we begin to move from ‘I would love this to happen’ towards ‘What might make this possible?’ That is an important transition!
THINKING MEANS ASKING BETTER QUESTIONS
Good thinking is not simply allowing thoughts to pass through our minds. It is deliberate. It requires us to stop, observe, question and consider. Sometimes the most valuable thinking begins with a question we have not previously asked.
- What if there is another way?
- What am I assuming that may not be true?
- What do I know, and what do I need to learn?
- What could go wrong?
- What could make this easier?
- Who has already done something similar?
- What can I do differently?
Questions such as these can open up possibilities. They can also expose weaknesses in our thinking. That is valuable.
If we are serious about achieving a dream, we should not be afraid to discover that some of our original assumptions were wrong. Thinking is therefore not merely about finding reasons why the dream will work. It is also about being honest enough to discover why it might not work, and what we could do about that.
PLANNING IS THINKING WITH INTENTION
At some point, thinking needs structure. This is where planning becomes important. Planning is not an attempt to predict the future. We cannot know everything that will happen as circumstances are very likely to change. Opportunities will emerge and unexpected obstacles will appear.
A useful plan gives us a considered starting point. It helps us think about what needs to happen, the resources required, the obstacles we may encounter and the alternatives available to us.
Planning asks us to move beyond:
- This is what I want
towards:
- This is what I might need to do to move towards it.
That distinction is significant. It turns a dream into something we can begin to work with.
THINKING CAN REVEAL POSSIBILITIES
One of the exciting things in thinking seriously about a dream is that we may discover possibilities that were not obvious at the beginning. A person may dream of changing careers and discover that the skills they already possess can be transferred into another field.
An entrepreneur may begin with an idea for a product and discover that the greater opportunity lies in solving a different problem for the same customer. A young person may think they need to follow one particular path, only to discover another route towards the contribution they want to make.
The original dream may remain, but its route may change. This matters because we can become so attached to our first idea of how the dream should happen that we fail to see other possibilities.
Thinking allows us to ask not only, ‘How can I make my original plan work,’ but also, ‘Is there a better way of getting where I want to go?’
DO NOT LET THINKING BECOME AN EXCUSE FOR WAITING
There is, however, another danger. Thinking can become a comfortable place to hide. We can continue researching, planning and analysing, waiting until we feel completely ready. At some point, thinking has to give way to action.
We do not need to know everything before we begin. Indeed, some things can only be learned by doing. This is why thinking and action should not be treated as opposites.
Good thinking prepares us for action. Action then gives us new information that can improve our thinking.
The process becomes a cycle: Think → Act → Learn → Think again
The first plan may not be the final plan. And that is perfectly acceptable.
CHANGE THE ROUTE, NOT NECESSARILY THE DREAM
Sometimes we encounter obstacles because our dream is unrealistic. It may however be that the problem is simply the route we have chosen.
If one approach does not work, we should be willing to ask why.
- Was the assumption wrong?
- Did the circumstances change?
- Did we underestimate what was required?
- Is there another route?
- Should we develop a different capability?
- Should we seek help?
Changing course does not automatically mean giving up. Sometimes it is the opposite. It really means that we are sufficiently committed to the destination to reconsider the route. This is one of the reasons thinking remains important even after action has begun. We should continue to learn from what happens.
DREAM → THINK → ACT → ACHIEVE
This is why I see the Dream and Achieve framework as a journey rather than a one-time sequence.
- Dream gives us something to pursue.
- Think helps us understand it, examine possibilities and consider what may be required.
- Act moves the idea into the real world.
- Achieve gives us the opportunity to realise the outcome, and then to ask what that achievement means.
The process does not necessarily end there. What we learn from achievement can lead to another dream. We may discover a new possibility, a new purpose or a new contribution. The cycle begins again.
Thinking therefore has a role throughout the journey. We think before we act and we learn from acting. Then we think again about what we have learnt.
GIVE YOUR DREAM SOMETHING TO WORK WITH
Perhaps the most important question is not whether you have a dream. Perhaps it is what you are doing with it.
- Have you examined it?
- Have you questioned it?
- Have you thought about what it would take to make it possible?
- Have you considered different routes?
- Have you identified what you need to learn?
- Have you allowed yourself to consider possibilities beyond the first idea that came into your mind?
A dream deserves more than admiration. It deserves thought, because thinking does something important. It takes the dream out of the realm of ‘I wish’ and begins to place it in the realm of ‘What if?’
And ‘What if?’ can be the beginning of possibility.
A QUESTION FOR REFLECTION
What would you begin to think differently about if you took your dream seriously?
Perhaps the next step is not to have all the answers. Perhaps it is simply to begin asking better questions.
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ABOUT KOLA OLUTIMEHIN
Kola Olutimehin (getKOLA) is a Business Excellence Consultant who helps organisations achieve operational excellence through effective leadership, employee engagement, continuous improvement and organisational transformation.
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Kola Olutimehin is a Business Excellence Consultant, who assists organisations in the achievement of operational excellence. He is a Director with the International Lean Six Sigma Institute (ILSSI), the David Hutchins International Quality College (DHIQC), and the Global Excellence Team (GET).
The International Lean Six Sigma Institute (ILSSI) is one of the leading international Lean Six Sigma professional and certification organisations, recognised globally. Kola’s involvement with ILSSI, DHIQC and GET reflects his continuing work in business excellence, operational excellence, quality and continuous improvement.