Put Your Dream To The Test

Last week Friday and Saturday I attended The Big Event 2011, co-hosted by Bob Burg and Paul Martinelli. It was fantastic…not just the speakers, but the attendees as well.

Me with Dr. Maxwell! Too bad my pesky glasses are catching the glare.

One of things I really appreciated about The Big Event 2011 was that they were really thoughtful about the agenda. Rather than packing the agenda back to back with speakers and very short breaks (like most events), they had fewer speakers and long stretches of breaks to encourage interaction among attendees. Normally you have to make a decision whether to make connections with others or listen to speakers, and with this event we could do both very effectively.

I took several pages worth of notes and thought that I’d share highlights from two of the speakers – Dr. John Maxwell (my absolute favorite leadership expert) and motivational speaker Les Brown. Today’s post is insights from Dr. Maxwell’s teaching: Put Your Dream To The Test.

Dr. Maxwell talked about how there are some key questions that separate dream achievers from simply dreamers. He says the answer lies in ten powerful questions. He said “The more valid reasons you have to achieve your dreams, the higher the odds that you will achieve them.”

Here are the questions along with some insight that he shared on many of them:

#1: The Ownership Question: Is my dream really MY dream?

Most people are really living someone else’s dream. You know that you have bought into your dream when you are willing to be on yourself. Most people are always looking for a sponsor…someone else to pay the way…someone else to fund the dream. You have to be willing to put your money where your mouth is. There is nobody who got to the top of the mountain with someone else carrying them.

#2: The Clarity Question: Do I clearly see my dream?

You need to have a clear and vivid picture of where you’re going. Fuzzy dreams make a fuzzy story. You won’t see the whole entire picture, but you will see a piece at a time and it should be clear. The value of clarity is the ability to prioritize.

#3: The Reality Question: Am I depending on factors within my control to achieve my dream?

Disappointment is the gap between expectation and reality. Reality is the foundation to build your dream on. For example, if you’re 5 feet tall, chances are that your dream of playing for the NBA aren’t realistic. If you’re completely tone deaf, you’re not going to sing for the opera even if you keep envisioning it. A pig can’t fly no matter how long the runway.

You want to step outside your comfort zone (because you’ll grow), but NOT outside of your gift zone.

#4: The Passion Question: Does my dream compel me to follow it?

Do you have the energy to achieve your dream? Without passion, you have energy. If you’re going to fulfill your dreams, you’re going to need a whole lot of energy to do that. Only lazy people ask you “When are you going to retire?” When you’re passionate and fulfilling your dreams and purpose, you won’t retire until you die.

#5: The Strategy Question: Do I have a strategy to reach my dream?

A strategy without a plan is just wishful thinking. You need to have a clear strategy and plan.

#6: The People Question: Have I included the people I need to achieve my dream?

You don’t want to be “self-made.” It’s teamwork that makes the dream work. A nightmare is a good dream with a bad team!

Dr. Maxwell said “You show me who is on your team, and I will tell you if your dream can happen.”

#7: The Cost Question: Am I willing to pay the price for my dream?

Dreams are a lot of fun in the beginning….while it’s free. The journey isn’t free and it’s not a one time toll either…it’s an ongoing toll that goes on forever. Most folks are unwilling to stay in the journey when it gets hard. Every dream has a cost and you need to be certain that you’re willing to pay it.

#8: The Tenacity Question: Am I moving closer to my dream?

The secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda. Everyday we are either preparing or repairing.

#9: The Fulfillment Question: Does working toward my dream bring satisfaction?

Don’t have “Destination disease.” No matter where you are, there you are. You have to be fulfilled now….during the journey.

#10: The Significance Question: Does my dream benefit others?

Are you adding value to people? God will only give TO you what he can get THROUGH you.

Those are the highlights from the 2 hours we spent with John Maxwell. I’ve read several of his books and they are excellent, but he adds SO much to it live and in person. He actually has a book on this topic called Put Your Dream To The Test. I haven’t read it, but based on what he shared with us, I know it has to be good.

Additionally, if you want to hear insights from John Maxwell in daily 60-90 second segments, check out his new “A Minute with Maxwell” series. It’s free and I think you’ll enjoy it! To tell you truth he just has such an awesome and soothing voice…so that’s a bonus. He’s easy to listen to and you get some wisdom to reflect on (and in many case, take action on) on a daily basis.

Early next week, be on the lookout for Lessons from The Big Event 2011: The Power of Your Story which will cover some of the awesome teachings from Les Brown (aka “Mrs. Mamie Brown’s Baby Boy”).