Dreams and Passion


by Josh Goh - Date: 2007-02-07 - Word Count: 827 Share This!

What goals should I set? How do I even start? What am I really passionate about? What is my purpose? I'm glad you asked. Goals stem from your dreams. I doesn't make sense to start planning life goals if you aren't even sure where you're headed right? It's like having a map without a compass. Your dreams are that North Pole your internal compass points to. It's the same with your youth. Sometimes, their compass gets distracted by other "strong magnetic fields" like friends, parents, and even World of Warcraft. Over the years, I've asked youth, what do want to do in the future when you graduate? They say, doctors, and lawyers, and scientists. I go, no, no, no, not what your parents want you to do. What do YOU want to do when you graduate? The answers are completely different. A lot of times, youth aren't really clear on what they want to do so they go along with what their parents want them to do or what their friends like to do. I know a youth who went to college to do a degree on something he had no interest for; he signed up for it because his friends were doing it. He ended up quitting the course after wasting a couple years on it. Setting goals based on their dreams helps them to define their purpose; something they're searching for especially as they get older.

You need to help your youth discover their dreams. The process of dream discovery is simple. It's not easy, it's simple. I'm not sure if you've heard about The Passion Test, but here's how it goes. Try it for yourself and see. First, get out a pen and paper. Second, list down the top 15 things you love to do. Your list will complete the sentence, "When my life is ideal I am ______." You aren't setting your goals yet, these are your dreams and what you're passionate about. So, dream big, don't let your mind shut them down, just write what comes to your mind and don't think too hard about them or evaluate them. Third, you'll need to rank them. Look at number 1 on your list and compare it number 2. If you could have either one but not both, which would you choose? If you chose number 2, then compare that with number 3. Keep using the one you choose and compare it against the rest of your list then rank the one you finally chose as #1. Go through the list again until you have your top #5 most important passions. I'm trying to summarize the test here but if you want the real deal you will have to check out The Passion Test. Go ahead and Google it or click the link in my bio.

Now once you've done that, you need to figure out how you're going to get there. Right now you know where you are and you've just discovered where you want to be. Setting the right goals is how you're going to get there. Look at your passions again and ask yourself which of them you can achieve in 10 years, 5 years, and 1 year. Now you have long-term and short-term goals to shoot for. This applies to your personal life as well as your relationship with your youth. Make this a fun exercise to do with them. Help your youth gain some clarity on their life goals. For example, if their long-term dream is to become a star football player, then what do they need to do today to get there? Probably training with a coach several hours a week, physical training, and so on. They'll need a plan on how they're going to get there. Be involved with them in this planning process. Your youth will see it as you taking an interest in their desires and taking their dreams seriously. A lot of times, youth don't want to share their real dreams because they fear they won't be accepted because they're different from the norm or because they fear ridicule. By making a plan you're saying, hey, I believe in your dreams, let's make it happen. Set aside some time every week to pursue dreams together. It keeps both you and your youth accountable to each other. It also keeps both parties motivated and encouraged.

Every day you work on your dreams takes you a step closer to it being reality. You and your youth need to realize that it doesn't take huge changes in your lives to make a difference in the long run. That'll only set you up for disappointment and unmet expectations. Rather, make small changes to help you "close the gap" between your dream and your current situation. Then you'll be encouraged as you see the results and celebrate your progress together.


Key Leaning Points:
· Goals stem from your dreams.
· Set aside some time every week to pursue dreams.
· Close the gap.

Related Tags: mentoring, teenagers, teens, youth, youth resources, youth leadership, youth program development

Joshua has more than 10 years of experience working with youths and currently works for PromiseWorks as their Head of Mentorship and co-created an online resource site, http://www.YouthDevelopmentResources.com. He has a unique perspective from that of a young person who is both a protégé in a mentoring relationship and also responsible for promoting mentoring for PromiseWorks. His primary passion in life is to create awareness about mentoring within Singapore, develop mentorship programs including content development, working with mentors as volunteers, and ensuring that PromiseWorks's mentoring program remains relevant to youth in Singapore. Realizing he was spending more time searching for or developing effective youth resources than he was spending time with the youth, he and Ken Sapp co-created Youth Development Resources to cater to to this need. In this article he recommends "The Passion Test" found here: http://www.thepassiontest.com/?af=8426

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