My first job was working Saturday’s on a seafood stall in Sheffield Fish Market.

It was a 5-minute walk to the bus stop where I would stand waiting, thinking and day dreaming.

Sometimes, my bus would arrive very quickly and others I’d be waiting ages and then the proverbial “two buses would arrive at once”.

Dreams, I now understand, can be very much like buses!

Now aged 51, and after a rather longer wait then my younger self’s ride in to Sheffield City Centre, two dreams have arrived – one directly following the other.

You see I’d dreamed and talked and imagined and talked and fantasised and talked about wanting to become an Author for a long time.  A long, long time.  And, well…nothing happened.

I’d dreamed and talked and imagined and…you get the picture…about becoming a Professional Speaker for an equally long time and, well nothing happened!

Then rather like a brick falling on my foot I came to a rather sudden and quite painful realisation that my dreams were not going to become anything more than that if I didn’t DO SOMETHING about them.

I then ‘got serious’, stopped talking and started doing.

I signed myself up for an on-line course in how to become a Published Author.  I booked myself on a Saturday morning event in Leeds to visit the Yorkshire region of the Professional Speaking Association.

FACT CHECK:  When I say “I” what I actually mean is “Pam signed me up” and “Pam booked me on” as we’ve found there is far less chance of computer carnage and rude words when I don’t try to do these things for myself!

Here’s the point…this year, I became a published Author and was elected as a Member of the Professional Speaking Association.  Because the dreams became goals which led to specific actions, effort, work discipline, re-organisation of priorities and time, which in turn led to actual RESULTS.

Dreams require mental effort and imagination.

Goals require actual effort and work.

So, now my new goals for 2018 include publishing my second book – ‘Improve Your Life: The Art of Successful Communication’ and continuing to develop my skills and profile as a Professional Speaker.

Dreams are wonderful in fact they are essential.  However, setting goals and working on them is the only way any dream will ever become a reality.

What’s your dream?  What goals do you need to set to make that your reality?