The Success Tip: Dream then Deliver

We all dream.  Without dreams there would be no innovation, no entrepreneurs, no purpose.  From our dreams come vision, inspiration and hope.  But dreams are not enough.  To move from the world of dreams to the reality of success, you need to deliver.  Otherwise you just keep dreaming and never get to see your dreams become real.

 

In dreams begins responsibility. - William Butler Yeats

As entrepreneurs and as innovators we are in the dream business.  As leaders, we share our dreams and encourage others to believe in them to.  This, as Yeats shared, brings with it responsibility.  Daring to share your dreams means committing to do everything in your power to make them happen.  It also brings the obligation to be very clear in what is illusion and what is fact. When others depend on your dreams for the basis of theirs, you better be ready to deliver. There is nothing worse that having to explain yourself to a disillusioned dreamer who believed in YOU.

If you can dream it, you can do it. Always remember that this whole thing was started with a dream and a mouse. - Walt Disney

Too often I hear people quote Disney, but they only use the first part of the the quote.  It sounds so good to say and hear: “If you can dream it, you can do it.” The reality is that while Disney is arguably one of the most creative innovators of the last century, he was also gifted in the art of delivery.  The second half of this famous quote is critically important. Note that he said that it “started with a dream and a mouse.”  It did not end there.    Disney worked tirelessly to build his business, create a vision, recruit top talent to make things happen, and monitored quality of delivery every step of the way.  Disney was not just a dreamer, he was a doer.

Let go of the past and go for the future. Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you imagined. - Henry David Thoreau

What you accomplished in the past is the basis for your experience and that’s about it.  Whether you are sharing your professional history in a resume or sharing your company strategy in a business plan, the message needs to clearly state what you can and will do.  That is what employers are hiring you for, what investors and customers put their money behind, and what employees buy into.  Dreams, imagination, and vision may get people excited, but a solid plan and clear direction lead to follow through.  Focus on how you will deliver and do it. That is what it takes to “live the life you have imagined.”  

The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up. - Paul Valéry

We all dream.  Success comes when we wake up, get moving, and deliver.

Thanks for stopping by.  Stay tuned....

Joan Koerber-Walker

A note about the quotes you read here. 

Each of the quotes you read in this post where selected not just for their message but for their authors.  Each is linked to a bio you might want to read.  Yeats won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923 and was active in both the arts and the changing times of his native Ireland.  Disney turned dreams and imagination into what is today a global entertainment and media empire.  Thoreau championed ecology and environmentalism over 150 years ago. Talk about a “green” pioneer.  Valéry was a celebrated writer, champion of the arts and advocate for academia and the sciences.  At one point in his life, he took a 20 year hiatus from writing.  When he ended his ‘great silence’ and woke up, he published a work that has been lauded as one of the greatest French poems of the 20th century.

About the Joan:

An entrepreneur, author, speaker and corporate advisor, Joan Koerber-Walker's journey has spanned from corporate America to entrepreneurship and non-profits as well as to community leadership and into the halls of Washington D.C.   To learn more about how CorePurpose and the CoreAlliance can help you grow your business in 2011, you can contact her by clicking here.

CorePurpose  is a registered trademark of CorePurpose, Inc.  CoreAlliance is a  service mark of CorePurpose Inc.  All rights reserved

 

Technorati Tags: Joan Koerber-Walker,CorePurpose,Business Tips,Success Tips,Dreams and Dreamers,Entrepreneurs,Innovators Warehouse,Literature and Poets

Comments

[Will Lukang]

I agree that dream alone is not enough you need to deliver to help achieve your goal.

[Joan Koerber-Walker]

Thanks Will.

[Dan Rockwell]

Joan,

This is one of my favorite pieces from you. Thank you for working to present clear, practical insights that enlighten and motivate.

I think you can spot the sleeping dreamers. They tend to minimize the blood, sweat, and tears it takes to incubate a dream into tangible, living, growing, results that add value to others.

That leads me to say, frequently dreams spend their time dreaming about that thing THEY want to do. Real dreams aren't so much about what WE do but about the positive value OTHERS enjoy from our efforts.

I found your piece both encouraging and challenging.

You have my respect,

Dan

[Joan Koerber-Walker]

Thank you Dan. And I agree with you. The greatest value of any dream is the value it creates for others. When we make a difference, everyone wins.

[Searchasyoutype]

Thank you Joan for an inspiring article. My name is Pal Sahota and I am a dreamer and an inventor. Both go hand in hand. I have been both from a very young age. Over 20 years ago I was trying to develop a pharmacy software in DOS and I couldn't get the speed I wanted and I asked my self the question "why can't I search as you type" and I came up with the answer. My blog expains how it came about. http://searchasyoutype.wordpress.com/about There have been recent articles about me such as http://www.techeye.net/business/british-man-accuses-google-of-nicking-instant-search Sometimes the ability to 'dream' is more important than knowledge in the field of innovation.

[Joan Koerber-Walker]

Pal:

Thank you for sharing your story and the article links. I believe the ability to dream is the foundation of all invention. Eqaually, the ability to execute in a way that brings broad acceptance is the path from invention to innovation.

I have heard many stories like yours over the years both from family and from friends who have experienced something like this. It happens more often and in more places than many people think.

You have an uphill battle ahead of you. Good Luck!

[Curtis Johnson Realty]

Having a dream can allow us to think with a purpose. Just like our existence, we all have our purpose. I have to say that your post made me realize that as a person we have to develop what we have into its full potential. Thanks again for the great ideas you have imparted. This means a lot.

[Joan Koerber-Walker]

Thank you Norma and I love your quote. Having a dream and acting on it allows us to live our purpose.

Joan

[Matt]

Joan,

Being able to deliver is something that dreamers can overlook. As a small business owner dreaming is easy. I can conjure up the most amazing projections and plans but if those plans aren’t realized, not delivered, they’re just dreams.

Glad I found this blog.

-Matt

[Joan Koerber-Walker]

Thanks for joining the discussion Matt. As a small business owner myself, I know what you mean. Dreams become reality when we build the resources, create partnerships, and move from ideas to action. Come back and join the discussion anytime! ---Joan

[article submission website]

Eugen Tarnow suggests that dreams of long-term memory during waking life ever excitations are present. Strangeness of dreams long-term memory, Penfield and Rasmussen's findings that electrical excitations of cortex give rise to similar experiences reminiscent of the dream is due to the nature.