WINNING WITH 2013!

"Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is."
 -       Vince Lombardi

Congratulations, so you made it to the 13th year in the 21^st century! Being alive is such a beautiful opportunity that God has given to us. Here we are at the threshold of a new year.  A new year unfolds new things. On that note, I’ll like to welcome you to this fresh column, where you will be served with inspiring, interesting and intellectually-stimulating ideas on issues relevant to our shared experiences. I look forward to an ever-flowing stream of interactions even as we share on this worthy platform.

Have you made new resolutions for the year? Have you set lofty goals for yourself? Have you identified fantastic opportunities you hope to take advantage of? Whichever is your situation, I can assure you that living your dreams in 2013 is absolutely possible.

You may have made costly mistakes in the previous year(s). Please forgive yourself and let the peace of self-acceptance saturate your being. Everyone makes mistakes one way or the other. The New Year presents you a fresh opportunity to do the right things (effectiveness), to do things the right way (efficiency) and to do them at the right time (time maximization).

If you are going to win with 2013, you’ve got to reflect for the right things to do to achieve your goals. A goal has been defined as a dream with a deadline. I like this definition because it takes consideration of time with the mention of the word ‘deadline’, not just ‘dream’. My focus will, therefore, be on two things; the dream and how to actualize it within the timeframe you’ve provided for yourself.

People sleep and have dreams, so what’s the big deal about dreaming? I’m not talking about ‘night dreams’ here. One of the most popular statements I have heard people make recently is ‘I have a dream!’ This statement is credited to Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech of 1963.  He dreamt of the freedom, equality and end to the racial discrimination going on then in the United States of America.

What’s a dream? According to ID Greatness!, ‘A dream is a mind’s picture of a larger-than-life expectation’. Your mind is the birthplace of dreams. A dream takes root and comes alive in your mind when the barbed wires of your thoughts are positively charged and soft pictures are produced. They could be motion pictures or still pictures. Pictures you can almost touch with your bare hands, yet it only exists in the imagination! That’s a dream!

A person can dream. Nelson Mandela of South Africa did. A company can dream. A country can dream. There’s the American Dream. A continent can dream.

It’s important for you to dream big to tap into the opportunities that this year will offer. It is only those who have a dream that will easily recognize an opportunity, when it comes up. Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, the longest-serving First Lady of the United States (1933-1945) puts it like this; “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." 2013 is a year of fantastic opportunities for those who are committed dreamers.

For instance, if you are a tenant and you dream of becoming the owner of a house. You could be an employee dreaming of firing your boss and starting your business. As an unemployed graduate, you could paint a picture of your dream job and the mouth-watering benefits you hope to be offered. As a final year university student, you may be looking forward to finishing with a First Class Honours in your discipline in spite of the odds against you. Your dream might be to become a published author this year. Am sure a fire of aspiration is burning in you right now, shedding light on your own dream(s).

Whatever your dream is, you can actualize it. See the acrostic I worked out for a DREAM;

D: Decent – Your dream should be noble, endearing and positive. That’s the decency of a dream.

R: Robust – Let your dream grow out of a fertile imagination with vivid pictures of who you want to become, what you want to achieve, what you want to acquire or whatever is the object of your desire.

E: Enriching & Enduring– Your dream should be people-oriented; touch the lives of people positively. In the long run, your dream should seek to do the greatest good for humanity. Your dream can make life easier, sweeter and richer. Also, your dream should outlast you. A lot of corporations die once their founders die. This is because there is no succession plan in place. A succession plan makes your dream immortal. Succession guarantees immortality for your dreams. That’s why brands such as Coca Cola have not only survived over the years, but they are also thriving.

A: Aspirational – A dream turns you into an ageless aspirant in life.   Your dream is something up there, out of your reach at the moment, but within your potential.  Your dream should be bigger than you!

M: Motivating – Your dream should constantly inspire you to take steps that bring you closer and closer to fulfilling the dream. Motivation keeps you moving ahead expectantly, even when there are setbacks.

Check if that dream of yours is Decent, Robust, Enriching & Enduring, Aspirational and Motivating. In the next edition, we shall concentrate on how to actualize your dream(s). Always remember you were born to win! Keep dreaming! Keep winning! Decide to win with 2013! I’ll love to get your emails, text messages, phone calls – let’s win together! You’ve got greatness in you!