Turning Dreams Into Reality

Every business owner should have a dream for their business -- a dream that they want to turn into reality.  How do we make those dreams come true?  We begin with the establishment of a stated purpose for our business and the development of a vision of what we want this business to become in the future.

We should be able to answer the following questions: "Why does my business exist?" and "What do I want my business to be like in the future?"  Once we have answered these questions, we are ready to move to the next step - organizing for success.  There are four steps to success: Plan - Execute - Track - Analyze.

Many people think Henry Ford invented the automobile.  He did not - it was invented in 1769 and powered by steam.  The first gas powered car was built 18 years before Ford sold his first car.  Henry Ford's dream was for every family in America to own a car.  This was considered an impossible dream in the early 20th century, yet Ford achieved his dream by turning it into a clear plan of action.  He did that by turning:

1. his dream into specific goals

2. his goals into specific activities

3. his activities into specific daily and weekly actions

4. he assigned a specific time to complete each action.

All he had to do was follow that plan, step by step, action by action, and his dream would be achieved.  There were about 250 other car manufacturers when Ford built his Model T assembly plant in 1908, however, he built more cars in one day than most of his rivals could build in one month.  By 1914, he was building more cars in one day than most competitors could build in one year.

Even the most possible dreams need a plan.  Think about what you want to accomplish with your business; begin now to dream the most possible dream for your business.  Turn your dream into reality.

Don Midgett, Author
Mission and Vision Statements: Discover Your Path to a Successful Business Future