1. Immerse yourself in the outcome

Dreams come at a price. Therefore think through the implications on other aspirations and consequences of following your dreams.

2. Work out the journey

Think clearly through the steps to achieve your dream as well as the dream itself. As Napoleon said: “Plans are useless but the act of planning is invaluable.”

3. Surround yourself with critical friends

Build a network of people who are on your side but will also tell you the truth. Business leaders, past clients, successful entrepreneurs, can all act as mentors and guides along the way.

4. Persist

Keep at it and stick to your guns, remember dreams worth realising don’t come easy.

5. Be flexible

Have a broad outcome you wish to achieve but be prepared to compromise on how you make it happen. Many great inventions including Coca-Cola and Post-it notes were as a result of going off track. By being flexible we often come up with something bigger, better and sooner.  

6. Timing is everything

Watch for trends, stay close to your audience, be patient and choose your moment carefully. The key to success is to be just ahead of the market but not eons.

7. Be happy to fail

There are always going to be stumbling blocks on any journey. Capture the insights, adapt and move on.
  
8. Approach it in stages

If it all seems too much and you find yourself stuck, focus on one thing at a time. Break it down into mini-milestones and just work on achieving the next step.

9. Avoid relying on this dream for self-esteem

When we draw our strength from many different parts of our life we’re more likely to have the stamina that keeps us going.