Dream of Tomorrow Live Today



Posted: Saturday, August 22, 2009

by Todd Dewett
TVA Inc

Dreaming is very important. Ted Turner (creator of CNN, TNT, the Goodwill Games, etc.) was told by his father daily to "dream dreams so big they could not possibly be achieved in your lifetime." Wow. Imagine what Ted Turner was actually dreaming of! Professionals of all stripes need to dream. However, you can't dream so much or so often that you fail to make the most out of today. There is your challenge: dream of tomorrow, live today.

You have to realize that though you will never stop striving, never stop pushing and cajoling your team to greater heights, never stop dreaming there is an exquisite beauty in today. Today: the state of being merely on the road towards future goals, the world of glass half full realities. You are alive and, if you made the right choice this morning, smiling and plodding along, tending to the everyday necessities of leading others. This includes massaging and reporting data, meeting with various stakeholders, walking through the same maze of office cubicles you see all too often. Depending on your perspective, this is a predictable and dreary aspect of your career; or maybe it is the essence of your career.

Let me challenge you. If you think the office life is the boring and difficult part, you are less likely to achieve your long-term dreams and professional aspirations. Why? Because the people and the tiny details that define cubicleland are the foundation of the dreams. They are the tools, your partners. Look at them closely and find the positive. The same applies to your perception of your office, your car, your home all of your current "stuff." If you cannot see the wonderment of what you currently have, in all likelihood you won't be very fulfilled when you eventually achieve your dreams and replace your things with new and better things.

My advice: get some perspective before it is too late! Take a walk at lunch even though you do not believe you can spare the ten minutes. Call an old friend for five minutes in the middle of the day. Tell that colleague who just handed you the boring report how much you genuinely appreciate what they do to keep things moving around the office. Try to articulate several reasons you appreciate being exactly where you are in life. Don't go home and talk to your friends and family only about "how nice it will be when" See the positive you have before you right now so that you maintain the ability to appreciate what you have regardless of what happens as your career progresses.

Let's be clear. I love to dream. I am simply advocating perspective: don't let the dream snub out your ability to smell the flowers right now. If I'm being honest, my youngest son made me think about this topic recently. He is almost two years old. He only uses a few words right now and his physical dexterity is, well, that of a two year old. I used to complain to my wife that I could not wait until he was older so that we could actually play catch or something that I wanted to do. I become angry with myself now when I think about how many amazing playtimes I missed because of that lopsided future mentality. It is a valid thought about the future but only to the extent it does not detract from living fully in the present. These days I'm happy to report that my favorite times involve playing tackle with my little boy, on his terms, no large vocabulary required.

Dr. Dewett is a nationally recognized leadership expert, professor, author, professional speaker and consultant specializing in all aspects of organizational life. As quoted in the New York Times, BusinessWeek, CNN, the Chicago Tribune, MSNBC and elsewhere. He is the author of Leadership Redefined. Podcasts, blog, free newsletter and more at http://www.drdewett.com . Copyright 2009 TVA Inc.

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