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Dreaming Big Versus Being Realistic

buisness mindset Jan 07, 2025
Crystal Noell thinking about budgeting for big dreams

What is too big of a dream? How do you navigate setting big dreams versus what you can realistically achieve?

When I dream big, I am shooting for what makes me excited and a bit overwhelmed. When I set my goals, I am shooting for how I am going to make my dreams happen. In the last 2 years that I have documented everything in My CFO, I have watched my dreams become failures. I have watched as the goals I set have not been achieved. I have learned from each setback, gaining insights, growing my capacity, and building my resilience in ways that were never a part of my plan.

Yet, with those failures and setbacks, I continue to be reminded that it's not just about what we hope to achieve; it's about the journey and the lessons that come with it. It sounds so cliche, I know...still...with My CFO being my 7th business and two years into being operational, each failure has been a stepping stone, guiding me to refine my strategies and my approach, which actually become successes. Weird, right?

In setting big dreams, it's essential to balance your ambition with practicality, which is hard when you own a start up and you want to keep having exponential growth. You’ve seen me build out my 10 year dream without the limits and challenges of what I am dealing with today. That is why I always start with my 10 year dreams first - that way I will dream big and will not limit myself to what is happening in my bubble right now.
(Masterclass: How To Forecast Your Budget: 1yr, 3yr, 10yr)

Once you have your 10 year big dream that excites you, break it down into smaller, more manageable goals. For me, this is your 3 year goals, followed by your 1 year roadmap, both of which are still dreams, yet a little more realistic. I write these goals down because getting them out of your brain and on paper also makes them seem more real. Plus, when you seem them in writing, you will start to see how to achieve them. Your brain will start firing out solutions that don't happen when you keep everything in your head.

Today, in Path to Profit, we went over how what I mapped out for 2024 didn’t happen how I planned. We were $100k short of the revenue goal I had set for My CFO. In reviewing this, I remembered that I needed to embrace the flexibility of my plans, as the path to achieving your dreams is rarely a straight line: ESPECIALLY FOR START UPS!!! Be prepared to adapt and pivot when necessary, and don't be afraid to seek help or advice from mentors and peers who have walked a similar path. Remember, the most significant achievements often come from collaboration and learning from others.

Ultimately, dreaming big is about pushing the boundaries of what you believe is possible. It's about daring to envision a future that excites and inspires you while staying grounded in reality through thoughtful planning and perseverance. Keep dreaming, keep learning, and watch as you transform your big dreams and vision into reality, remembering that the journey of how we achieve them is 99% of your success.

Lub you,
Crystal

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