#6 - How to Streamline Your Dreams

Once upon a time, there were two young boys from the same small town who dreamed of becoming engineers. They were inseparable; best friends who took all their classes together. Both boys were very intelligent and loved science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. They dreamed of going to college together and even starting their own company together one day.

They had a specific and very competitive college in mind they wanted to attend and both boys worked hard to get in, but only one was accepted, which devastated them. Instead of both of them pursuing engineering degrees together at the competitive college, one ended up attending a state school, failing out, and working odd jobs to stay afloat.

Becoming men now, they remained great friends into their early 20s, although they slowly started to grow apart. One man graduated college with a computer engineering degree and pursued a career in technology. The other worked concessions at a local zoo in town. The graduate stayed an extra year in college to obtain his graduate degree in business, while the other man worked at a bowling alley.

The young men were still best friends and continued to hang out and party together for years, but their friendship was never the same after their dreams diverged. Now in their 30s, they have learned their friendship will never be what it once was.

If you know me well, you have already deduced who this story is about - me and my childhood best friend. My past best friend is a great human being and I mean no disrespect in sharing these facts. I tell this story, not to put him down or bolster myself, but rather to share an example of what can happen as we grow. Whether we like it or not, the seemingly insignificant choices we make in our day-to-day living matter far more than we realize. They often accumulate into our lives turning out significantly different than we intended, and the humility to understand that is absolutely critical.

A Deeper Understanding

Have you ever wondered why so few people ever achieve their goals and dreams? In high school, it seemed everyone had big dreams. I certainly did, and I remember those days vividly.

Classmates were always talking about the colleges they wanted to attend and the careers they wanted to pursue. I would hear things like, "I want to be a doctor", "I want to be an actress", or "I want to be an engineer." It felt like everyone had a big, bright future to look forward to.

Unfortunately, those goals and dreams often dampen over time. Picture it as a ship fading into the distance. Life's disappointments pile up and people slowly stop believing in themselves and dreaming like they once did. Disappointment after disappointment occurs, and that child-like imagination slowly slips away.

So, how does this happen, and why? Perhaps even more importantly, why doesn't this happen to everyone? How is it that some people hold onto their big goals and dreams long enough to actually achieve them, while others become timid and complacent? What makes the difference?

According to Google, as of the time of writing this blog, only five percent of people ever set goals, and only eight percent of those people ever achieve them. That means in a room of 1,000 people, only 50 people set goals, and only four people ever achieve them. 

At Next Level University, our mission is to solve this problem. We understand how dark and depressing life can get without a bright future to guide you, which is why I wrote this blog. When setting goals, most people set themselves up for failure. I want to prevent that by showing you a practical framework for how to set goals in a way that makes it extremely easy to follow through and achieve them. Let’s break it down into four steps.

Step 1 - Dreams (10+ Years)

Step 1 is to set yourself up with a pie-in-the-sky dream statement. This doesn't even have to be realistic. It just has to provide direction and be something that will take you at least 10 years to achieve. For an actor, this might be to win an Oscar. For a musician, it might mean winning a Grammy. Another example could be to build a million-dollar business or to speak on stage in front of 1,000 people. There are very few rules here, just guidelines. This is your dream and I only ask that you make it one concise sentence that points you in the right direction.

I have provided three examples of dream statements for you below. The first example is my own and the other two are from current NLU team members:

1. Alan: "To build the most positively impactful holistic self-improvement company in history."

2. Laura: "To build an aligned business that provides a life of freedom, health, and abundance with a supportive community."

3. Rann: "To create a life of financial freedom in a safe and loving household; cultivate memorable experiences with family; and develop a strong, healthy, and capable body."

Action step: Write down your dream statement - one sentence that explains a dream you want to achieve within the next 10 years.

Step 2 - Goals (This Year)

Step 2 is to break down your big dream statement into three, crystal clear, one-year goals. Ideally, these would be simple, measurable, and come in the form of a number, but not all people do it that way. The secret here is to ensure the goals are achievable but also large enough to stretch you. If your goals are too small, they won't fully ignite your passion. If they are too big, your mind will not believe in them, and you will not follow through with them. Also, remember to keep your timeline in perspective. If you are creating goals at the end of June, the year is already halfway over. In that case, set goals that are appropriate for a 6-month timeline. If it is January 1st when you do this, set goals for a 12-month timeline.

I have provided three examples below to help you set your goals. Remember, these must align with the dream statement you created in Step 1.

Alan's Top 3 Goals

1. $322K+ Gross Revenue

2. +5% Impact Score

3. 24+ New Coaching & Consulting Clients

Laura's Top 3 Goals

1. Reduce Working Hours

2. Master Baking for New Cafe

3. Create 1 New Aligned Friendship

Rann's Top 3 Goals

1. Less than 18 QA Errors

2. Save 60K Pesos

3. Lose 18 Pounds

Action step: Break down your dream statement into three, crystal clear, one-year goals.

Step 3 - Milestones (This Quarter)

Step 3 is to break down your three goals into even smaller chunks. I know this can feel like a pain, but the clarity you will gain from it will ignite you very powerfully as we finalize this process. Now that you know what you are trying to achieve this year with your three goals, let's break them down into what you want to achieve this quarter. If you are not familiar with thinking about time in quarters, please refer to Figure 2 below. Also, please note that some countries run on different fiscal quarters for tax purposes, but this framework is the most universal when it comes to setting goals and managing your time.

The quarterly breakdown helps break the year into four parts, each with three months. As you can see from Figure 2, Quarter 1 (Q1) is January, February, and March; Quarter 2 (Q2) is April, May, and June; Quarter 3 (Q3) is July, August, and September; and Quarter 4 (Q4) is October, November, and December. Knowing this, determine which quarter you are in currently. Now, identify how many days are left in this quarter. For example, as I am writing this, it is currently July 5th, 2023, and there are 88 days left in Q3. Once you determine how many days are left in the quarter, make sure you choose three milestones that are aligned with that time perspective. The important thing here is to give yourself an appropriate amount of time to accomplish your milestones, similar to what you did in Step 2 with setting goals.

Again, I have provided three examples below to help you set your milestones. Remember, these must align with the dream statement and goals you created in Steps 1 and 2. The key here is to ensure your milestones and goals are helping you climb toward the summit of your dreams (see Figure 1 for reference).

Alan's Top 3 Milestones

1. $161K+ Gross Revenue

2. +2.5% Impact Score

3. 12+ New Coaching & Consulting Clients

Laura's Top 3 Milestones

1. Earn More at Side Hustle

2. Practice Baking Weekly

3. Connect with More People at Work

Rann's Top 3 Milestones

1. Less than 9 QA Errors

2. Save 30K Pesos

3. Lose 9 Pounds

Action step: Break down your three, one-year goals into quarterly milestones. Choose up to three milestones per quarter.

Step 4 - Inch Pebbles (Daily Habits)

Step 4 is the final step in this process. This is where you take your milestones and break them into even smaller daily habits that compound over time. At NLU, we often recommend choosing at least three habits to track daily, with a holistic focus on health, wealth, and love. Again, I made sure to provide plenty of examples to help you get started, and if you need help creating habits or understanding how to track them to achieve your goals and dreams, please email me at alan@nextleveluniverse.com. I don't want you to simply copy the examples below. The most important thing to do is choose daily habits that are completely custom based on your unique dreams, goals, and milestones (Steps 1, 2, and 3, respectively).

Alan's Top 3 Daily Habits

1. Connect with 1 Potential Client

2. Batch NLU Team WhatsApp Messages

3. Post 1 Inspiring Social Media Message

Laura's Top 3 Daily Habits

1. Offer 1 Free Trial Massage

2. Research 1 New Baking Recipe

3. Start 1 Conversation with a New Person

Rann's Top 3 Daily Habits

1. Touch Base with Production Team

2. Track Finances

3. Exercise for at Least 30 Minutes

Once you have your daily habits aligned with your dreams, goals, and milestones, you are ready to take action. This is where habit tracking comes in. It can be tricky at first, but the longer you practice daily habit tracking, the easier it becomes. You will get the hang of it. I have personally been habit tracking for eight years, and I can promise you it is one of the most powerful tools you can implement.

The core NLU team and all of my clients track their habits every day. If you are interested in habit tracking on your phone, you can try our free app, Optimal, available to download on our website (nextleveluniverse.com). You can also track in a Google Sheet, or start how I did, by tracking your habits in a notebook, journal, or diary. We have a Dreamliner you can purchase to journal daily and track habits if you prefer this method (https://a.co/d/f1FWAQA). I have saved dozens of little black notebooks with years of habit tracking from when I first started. There is no right or wrong way to track. Choose whichever option you are most likely to follow through with.

Action step: Choose at least three habits you can complete daily that will help you achieve your milestones each quarter. Track them in a journal like our Dreamliner, in a Google Sheet, or in our Optimal app.

Four Rules for Achieving Your Dreams

Well, there you have it. That explains "Dreamlining." Now you have the tools to start making progress toward achieving your dreams. To help you even further, I want to share my 4 Rules for Achieving Your Dreams. I hope this helps you stay on track when things get challenging, which they most likely will, because let’s face it, life doesn’t always care about our dreams and goals.

Alan's 4 Rules for Achieving Your Dreams

1. Set up the train tracks (which we just did).

2. Stay on the train tracks (this is now up to you).

3. Improve the train tracks (not just once, but continuously).

4. Never lose momentum (stick with it and allow your efforts to compound).

It is time to take action and start tracking your daily habits. If you need support, reach out. I look forward to hearing how this framework has helped you achieve your wildest dreams!

Dear Reader,

Thank you for taking time to read this blog. If after reading this, you have any questions, I am here for you. Please reach out to ask your questions via email to alan@nextleveluniverse.com or by visiting our website nextleveluniverse.com. Also, if you received value from this, I would like to recommend you check out our podcast, Next Level University, for a daily dose of holistic self-improvement. You can find it on any podcast platform, including YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Thank you again. I am excited to hear from you!

- Alan