When most people finally decide to live their dream for real, they feel excited and ready to take on the world. Although having this feeling is great, the next move that the dreamer makes isn’t always the best. A lot of the time, the daring dreamer has no idea how to get started, or has no idea as to how things work, and they end up making the same 5 dreamer mistakes that cost them valuable time and money.

I must say that I only know these things, because I made these mistakes myself, and as more and more people decide to step out on faith and live their own dreams, I am seeing a lot of them head right down that same ugly road.

DO NOT…and I repeat…DO NOT GO DOWN THERE! That road leads to unnecessary disappointments, discouragement, and quitting. I don’t ever want to see anyone quit on their dreams, because I see it as being the same as quitting on themselves.

Because of the mistakes people make when they are starting out, they quickly believe that living their dream is difficult, and many believe that God is sending them a message that they shouldn’t be doing what they’re doing. Then, they quit.
If you want to avoid traveling down the wrong path as a dreamer, check out the list and adjust your actions accordingly.

5 Mistakes People Make When Going After Their Dreams

1 They Don’t Have A Plan

I have had enough of hearing the all-I-gotta-do-is approach to everything. If doing something is as simple as “all I gotta do is…” then everyone would be doing it. Right? It’s great that you want to live your dream, but dreaming isn’t only about the fun and exciting part. There most likely are some business end things that should be handled as well, and when you don’t have a plan in place, things can go south quickly. Come up with a plan. Write the vision. Then set out to execute.

2 They Don’t Educate Themselves

Please be sure to educate yourself on your field. Learn what others who have gone before you have done. Just about everything requires study and practice to reach new levels. Find books, CDs, DVD, YouTube videos, etc. that will aid you in enhancing your knowledge in certain areas.

3 They Expect Their Friends & Family to Support Them

Why do I always have to be the one to burst your bubble??? I’m sorry, but I’m not sorry. It’s better that you know this now. This way, you’ll understand when you run into this situation that it’s (in my Janet Jackson voice) just the way love goes. That’s as sweetly as I could put it. Your friends and family love you very much, but if they aren’t already dreamers themselves, they won’t understand. If they believe in 9-to-5 living, they may even not show their support in an attempt to break you out of that “silly” way of thinking, to get your head out of the clouds, and to convince you to “get a real job”.

If this happens, understand where they are coming from, protect your dream, and keep it pushing. They’ll get it later, when things start to work out the way you had planned. Forgive me for using this analogy, but your dream is kind of like the child that the young, unmarried and inexperienced teenager is pregnant with. The news of it is devastating to the teen’s loved ones, and they get up in arms about it. Out of love, they spew all kinds of too late advice and wisdom. BUT when the baby arrives, everyone is over their feelings and focused on the little bundle of joy.

So take your friends’ and family’s lack of support on the chin and go have that baby…well, you know what I mean.

I read the book The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson, and it gave me life! It spoke to exactly the things that I had been feeling as a dreamer. I couldn’t understand what was going on, but after I read this book, I had a very new perspective on life. Read this book! I’m telling you, it will make you feel like, “Oh…so I’m not crazy at all!” LBVS

4 They Pay Someone To Do Something They Should Know Themselves

I am so not against outsourcing. I think it’s a great time saver, but when you are just starting out, you should educate yourself in EVERY area of your dream. Especially if you plan to live off of your dream, you’ll need to have your hand in every part of it, at least in the beginning. How will you know if someone is messing you around, if you don’t know that part of the business?

Also, if you are willing to simply hand over your money for some product or service before you have educated yourself, you won’t know if that product or service is really necessary. You could potentially end up spending more money to fix a problem or to redo work that could have been avoided in the first place. I would suggest, depending on what it is, that you pay someone to educate you on how to do it yourself. Then, you can pay to outsource that task later on, when other things take up your attention.

5 They Don’t Seek Help From An Expert

Well, I guess this one could be connected to #4. You can save yourself some time, money, and energy, if you plan to get it done right the first time. Believe it or not, there are people who have lived their dream before you. That isn’t to say that your idea or talent isn’t unique. I’m just saying that there are people who have been down a similar road that you are traveling, and you could use some guidance from them.

It is important that you choose someone who you feel comfortable with. I have a really great relationship with my clients, because our personalities and energies complement one another. You should feel the same way with the person you choose as your coach. If you feel like he/she is taking your money, it probably isn’t a good fit. But if you feel that he/she is an understanding life saver who knows their stuff, then you’ve got the perfect coach for yourself.

Don’t be afraid to have fun with it. After all, you are living your DREAM. Don’t worry about making mistakes. Just don’t make the mistakes that people like myself have already made and are warning you about. Make it your business to learn more and more each day, and go make some new mistakes and great memories!

What is your big dream? How has the road to living your dream been so far?