The Hindu Business Line : Turning dreams into reality

At the age of eight, my aim was to be a doctor. So, I went to our local library and got this big medical book and tried to read it. I had to hurriedly return the book when a doctor wanted it.

Like many girls of my time, for a brief period, even I wanted to be an airhostess.

Very often, ideas of what we want to be change based on a better understanding of professions, prevailing situations, economic needs, and so on.

However, it is also true, that over a period of time, more pressing commitments, ensure that many of our childhood aspirations remain unfulfilled.

Though there may be some desires which we still cherish, they seem very hard to get.

However, a few lucky people have single-mindedly pursued their dreams and have succeeded in achieving them.

These are exceptions to the reality of ordinary lives. Such people will, perhaps, not benefit an iota from what I have to say next.

Remember your dreams

Many of us have ended up as managers who earn a good, comfortable living. But, that may not be the stuff of our dreams.

A decade or two ago, when I was a trainer, we used to conduct a game or, as trainers would like to call it, a structured exercise which we called Catch 22.

We asked the participants to remember and list the things they always wanted to do. They then spent time contemplating whether they could accomplish some of the things they had listed.

This involves introspection and a willingness to re-jig their present lifestyles in order to fulfil some of the dreams that still seem worthwhile.

The renowned dancer Shiamak Davar conducts dance classes in which senior citizens are introduced to dance for the first time.

Learning to swim was one of the unfulfilled goals on my list. At the tender young age of 35, I enrolled for swimming classes in the company of my seven-year-old son. I was very thrilled when I was able to cross that out from my Catch 22 list. So, reflect and record those aspirations in your very own list.

Dreams can turn to reality

The best way to rejuvenate is to take a pause and get down to the task of ticking off some of the activities you always wanted to do.

This is the first step to eventually retiring to an active life.

Like me, you may even retire early because life is so much more fun. At the very least, you will not be hoping for an extension just because you have no life beyond work.

The steps are simple.

Make the list and do it today, if possible. Procrastination, it seems, is one of the reasons behind unhappiness and even obesity. Treat this list as your Key Result Area which you will self-evaluate.

Prioritise it in terms of a happiness quotient. Add some details on why you have not done it. This could be because of a lack of time, a lack of facilities or simply a lack of information.

Re-order your list, giving weightage to the feasibility of the activity in addition to the happiness factor. List the resources available and the cost of the activity. If you can generate some revenue after completing the task, that is an added dimension to look at.

Plunge into it, one step at a time and at least one task at a time.

Once you start off on this journey, you will have better all around development. The spin-offs can also be surprising.

I have a friend who always wanted to take up gardening. One day, she decided that dismissing the not-so-efficient gardener was the route to tick this activity off her list. In the process she found that she could draw many parallels between looking after plants and nurturing talent.

The villain of the piece

If the steps are so simple, smart executives would already have been there and done that.

The limiting factors are our own inhibitions and lack of courage.

What will the 10-year-olds think if I do worse than them in the swimming class? From my experience I can tell you that they cheer you on.

There is also a fear of failure and fear of unfamiliar territory. Since you are already making a living, if you undertake an activity and find that you just cannot do it, you can still cross it off your list.

I have a confession to make here. One of my desires is to learn belly dancing. Over the years, I have invested and acquired the one important resource needed to learn this art form! I am now on a mission to find a suitable time, place and teacher.

(The writer, an alumnus of XLRI, is a freelance HR consultant and trainer.)

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