Dreams Don’t Work Unless You Do – John C. Maxwell

What did John C. Maxwell mean when he said, “Dreams don't work unless you do“? This lesson needs to be learned by every entrepreneur thinking of taking that giant leap to pursue their dreams.

Being an entrepreneur will be hard. There, I said it. All of us who have done it know that. If you are looking to start a business, don't think it will be easy.

If it were easy, everyone would be entrepreneurs and there would be no people to run the day-to-day jobs that keep our world going. It isn't for everybody, but it is worth it if you don't quit.

One of my biggest pet peeves (and one of the main reasons I am writing this), is when people say they'll start a business and start assuming it will all go according to plan.

Then, they quit at the first sign of trouble and complain about how hard it is or blame their failure on the economy.

What John C. Maxwell Is Trying To Tell Us

What John C. Maxwell was trying to tell us with this famous quote is that hard work can't be avoided when you pursue something greater in life.

Most people tend to give up on their dreams. Many will throw away their talents and live their lives from weekend to weekend, dreading everyday in between. Is this anyway to live?

I decided it wasn't and so have countless others. But, those first few years of pursuing your dreams as an entrepreneur are brutal.

You may not know where your next meal will come from. You may not know if you can afford your rent.

But, if you give up, failure is 100% inevitable and you can kiss your dreams goodbye. That's not what you want, is it? If you stick with it for as long as it takes, success can be 100% guaranteed.

Related: We Learn From Failure, Not From Success – Bram Stoker

Of course, I can't promise that you will succeed just by sticking with it, but anyone that doesn't achieve success, tends to just quit before they reach it.

Work hard day in and day out without the thought of quitting even crossing your mind and as long as you keep making progress, success WILL happen. It's just a matter of time.

What John C. Maxwell is asking us is whether we are willing to work harder than we ever have before for a period of time to be able to live like hardly anyone else can the rest of our lives.

You can reach your dreams if you give them a chance. You can move mountains and relax on the beach all day while your bank account goes off the charts.

You can go on month-long exotic vacations around the world and drive the fastest cars ever made. You can set your family for life and give your kids opportunities that 99% of others will never have.

You CAN Have It All

You can set world records or create new inventions that will change the world forever. You just have to visualize your dream everyday and work towards it.

This may sound cliche, but you probably have heard that the best things in life aren't easy to get. Work is a beautiful thing if applied to something worth working towards.

Tony Robbins always talks about how so many people tend to look at their dreams or goals and quit because of their focus on what they have to do to reach them.

After working with countless billionaires, top athletes, and celebrities, he has found that the ones that focus on the benefits and the payoffs of reaching their goals, as opposed to the challenges along the journey, are the ones that succeed.

In other words, many times, it is just you getting in your own way of your dreams.

If you shift your focus to what achieving your dreams will do for your life and what disappointment will come from not pursuing your dreams at all, then choosing to pursue them becomes an easy decision to make.

All other options become ridiculous or unjustifiable.

Related: There Are Only Two Options: Make Progress Or Make Excuses

Now, let me ask you this…

Would you rather apply yourself to a cubicle for 45 years to retire at an age where you can't hardly enjoy the time you finally have off, with just enough money or resources to get by…

Or would you rather work your butt off for a few years, getting out of your comfort zone, learning new skills and achieve your dreams, so you can live the next 50 years however you please?

Read this quote again:

“Dreams don't work unless you do.”

 

Now, think about how no matter what, you will have to work in life to pay bills, send your kids to school, keep a roof over your head, enjoy your favorite entertainment, etc.

You can't avoid work. Work is what keeps the world running and evolving. But, what you work towards is up to YOU.

Would your rather use that work on making your dreams a reality or on staying average with very little to look forward to? I chose the former. What will you do?