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Are we serious about our dreams?

April 7th, 2008 at 05:13 pm

I have a friend with a "dream" of going to a particular foreign country. Since each year I spend a month in a new country, it seems to me that it is easy, and that she would just rather dream about it than do it.

All you have to do is save some money and
1. get a visa
2. book a plane ticket
3. book first night at a hostel
4. buy a guidebook

Unless going to Europe, it is not even that expensive.
I think for her it is just fear. She has been "dreaming" about it for years.

Any dream, broken down into steps is manageable.
If I wanted to open a western cafe in China I should.
1) Learn to cook well
2) Learn the language
3) Have starting capital
4) Hire a capable local to deal with bureaucracy and procurement
5) Find location near congregations of business-travelling foreigners
6) Have a backup re-entry plan/fund in case things do not work out
There are more steps and a tonn of details, but as long as you have these essential things and a passion, it is manageable.
So I do not call something "a dream" unless I am taking active steps to achieving it.

6 Responses to “Are we serious about our dreams?”

  1. simple987 Says:
    1207585245

    Thats not always fair to assume that she is not serious about it. I have dreams too, but there are outside factors that determine if I will be able to do them or not. Typically I have little or no control on those outside factors.

  2. thriftorama Says:
    1207591190

    It's true. It is easy. You just have to commit. Set a date, book a flight and then make the rest happen. That's how I spent 6 months in Europe. I bought the ticket for 6 months in advance then I worked my butt off to save money. Knowing it's set in stone is a real motivator...

  3. scfr Says:
    1207608858

    Perhaps she would rather dream about it than do it. Is there anything wrong with that?

  4. reflectionite Says:
    1208325231

    i have a dream of owning my own cafe. i am 20 years old and to me, that is a huge commitment, and yes, a lot of what holds me back is indeed fear. but i think that when you put it steps like that, you make it so ... inhuman. there is more than just the physical preparation of a trip overseas (or a business venture).

  5. Nika Says:
    1208404235

    Actually this is a minimum preparation for a trip. Flying to a foreign country with nothing but a backpack and plans for next 1-2 night only. (we do take few months of language lessons before going)
    Talking to locals, eating in cheap local places, getting off the bus randomly if we see the towns we like... total immersion. In the last 5 years we spent 16 months traveling like this in Asia and South America. we spend at least a month in each country, each day not knowing what awaits us tomorrow. It was amazing and I wish more people could experience this.

    However, this approach great for pleasure, but not for business.

    Reflectionite, I'm sure you did not mean to use the word "inhuman" this is something one would use to describe autrocities. Being rational does not warrant such a description.

    I hope your dream gets realized. In running a business, head is just as important as passion and talent. Cooking for friends is a hobby. Having a cafe you have to deal with things like permits, accounting, taxes, labor, advertising, city regulations, food price fluctuations, cleanup, etc... on a regular basis. Things like business plan, initial funding and working capital, location lease, supervising renovation... these are just a beginning. I am not saying these are not manageable - they are manageable, one step at a time, this was my point. But you have to think of these and face them head on in order to achieve dreams.

    Scfr, I think there is something wrong with it. Our life is not unlimited so we should try to live it and realize whatever potential we have - not sit on the couch dreaming about living it while it passes.

  6. reflectionite Says:
    1208473964

    i guess then i mean non-human, as in mechanical then.

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