“Dream small” has been my mantra for the past few years. We are always taught to DREAM BIG, and it’s not wrong. Just as it is not wrong to also dream small. I know that dreaming small is not popular. Sports fans don’t say, “Go small or go home.”
But dreaming small has so many big benefits. It is seeing the trees, but knowing they are part of a huge forest. In fact, it is planting the first seed that will ultimately become that forest.
In the pursuit of my education, I struggled constantly to get that diploma in High School and then to get that Associates degree. My attention was always focused on the “diploma’ and “the degree”, and not “the class” that was currently in front of me. While I did ultimately secure the High School diploma and ultimately, the Associates Degree, and ultimately the bachelor’s degree, but it was extremely difficult. It was not until pursuing a master’s degree, that this philosophy began to take shape. I began dreaming small. That is dreaming of getting an A in the class that I was currently taking. Dreaming big on vision boards and the like have its place, but don’t under appreciate the process. My focus was each class in the semester. When the semester ended, I dreamt of the next semester and what I would like to accomplish.
This concept of dreaming small has so many applications and is not a new revelation, but when I shared it with several of my colleagues, it was not uncommon for them to look at me strange and say, “dream small?”. I would simply remind them that it was not a knock on dreaming big. Rather, an appreciation of focusing on the immediate tasks at hand. Instead of being solely fixated on the end goal, break it down into smaller, manageable steps, thus, achieving success in each step. This approach not only enhances your ability to stay focused, but also fosters a sense of achievement along the way.
Also, by consistently delivering excellence in smaller responsibilities, you create a reputation for competence.
As I prepare for my upcoming graduation, I reflected on how I have historically been an average student. A’s and B’s made rare appearances on my transcripts. Now, as I look at my MBA transcript, there is only one B+ and the rest are A’s.
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Dream of that bite and soon the elephant will be gone. As you continue to dream big, remember to also dream small.
Guard Your Gates 