This self improvement post ties into last week's blog article titled "What is Your Goal in Life?". If these quotes about dreams and goals inspire you enough to put forth some action then I encourage you to read that post as well.

Anyways, I've been spending a lot of time lately going over my dreams and goals. Getting clear on such an important subject is just so important. Unfortunately, we're always changing and growing. What is our dream today may be a pitiful joke to us in 5 years. That's just the way life is. And for that reason I suggest you look over your dreams, goals and aspirations.

I was prompted to list some quotes about dreams and goals because I came across a few good ones reading various articles and random internet stuff lately. But really, my real goal with this post is to get you thinking about your own dreams, your own goals, and maybe even get you to start believing that you really have no limits except the ones you put on yourself.

Quotes About Dreams and Goals

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions.
Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you too can become great.

Bottom line: Surround yourself with positive influences. Your "inner circle" will influence you!

You take your life in your own hands, and what happens?
A terrible thing: no one to blame.

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.

Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.
The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence.

People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are.
I don't believe in circumstances.
The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want. And if they cant, make them.

Bottom line: Take responsibility for everything in your life. Only you can change it.

Often people attempt to live their lives backwards.
They try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want so they will be happier.
The way it actually works is the reverse.
You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want.

Bottom line: As Zig Ziglar says, you must Be, Do, then Have.

Unless you start doing something different, you are in for more of the same.

This life is a test. It is only a test.
Had it been an actual life, you would have received further instructions on where to go and what to do.

An aim in life is the only fortune worth the finding; and it is not to be found in foreign lands, but in the heart itself.

You can't hit a home run unless you step up to the plate. You can't catch fish unless you put your line in the water. You can't reach your goals if you don't try.

Bottom line: Trying is the name of the game. The opportunities in life are simply gifts. Go get your share!

To know just what has to be done, then to do it, comprises the whole philosophy of practical life.

This one step - choosing a goal and sticking to it - changes everything.

Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.

Bottom line: Your goals give you direction. Focused energy is magnitudes more effective.

To solve a problem or to reach a goal, you...don't need to know all the answers in advance. But you must have a clear idea of the problem or the goal you want to reach.

When I am anxious it is because I am living in the future. When I am depressed it is because I am living in the past.

The goal you set must be challenging. At the same time, it should be realistic and attainable, not impossible to reach. It should be challenging enough to make you stretch, but not so far that you break.

Bottom line: Goals should help us grow. Not beat ourselves up. Not prevent us from acting. But grow.

If you don't know where you are going, you'll probably end up somewhere else.

The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn't a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream.... It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for. Not failure, but low aim is sin.

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.

Stop thinking in terms of limitations and start thinking in terms of possibilities.

Bottom line: Your own self talk has an incredible effect on your thinking, beliefs, and actions.

Goals. There's not telling what you can do when you get inspired by them. There's no telling what you can do when you believe in them. There's no telling what will happen when you act upon them.

Summing up dreams and goals...

Have you listened to Brian Tracy before? One idea that always comes to mind when I think of Brian Tracy is his idea of a major definite purpose. He really harps on it, and it's a good thing in my opinion. After all, if I had to hazard a guess I would say most people today stand for nothing at all. Having something to stand for is very powerful stuff.

Nonetheless, a major definite purpose -- that one thing that you devote your life to -- is heavy duty stuff! Do you have a major definite purpose in life? Do you want one? I'm going to guess you said "YES" you want that purpose in life. So then my next question is, how hard are you working on finding that purpose? How many books have you read in the last 90 days on goals, dreams, or a purpose in life?

I urge you to pick up such a book if dreaming big is something you like the sound of.

Jim Rohn is big on a couple things. First is that you've got to take responsibility for where you are AND where you are going. Where we go in life is up to us. Next, Jim Rohn speaks heavily about goals. In other words, your dreams.

As Mr. Jim Rohn puts it your life goals are the set of your sail. His analogy is that people are like ships. We all have sails on our ships and the wind blows on us all. It's a really good analogy actually.

The set of YOUR sail determines your future

The interesting thing about the analogy is how true it is. The wind that blows on our sails blows on everybody (the economy is a wind; politics is a wind; taxes are part of the wind; your neighbors, friends, relatives are part of the wind, etc). However, even though that same wind blows on us all, people have remarkably different lives! Some people are dirt poor and unhappy living in prosperous countries. Others are happy, successful, and love life. What's the difference between these radically different people? The set of their sail. The set of your sail is your philosophy on life, the actions you take, your attitude about life, and of course your goals and dreams are part of your sail.

The point of this blog entry is to get you thinking about your goals and dreams. What is your goal in life?

I recently read a nice, succinct article from Jim Rohn which portrays their importance. I can't say it any better than him, and I've heard him say it many many times in all his audio books that I listen to.

Establishing Dreams and Goals by Jim Rohn

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One of the amazing things we have been given as humans is the unquenchable desire to have dreams of a better life, and the ability to establish goals to live out those dreams. Think of it: We can look deep within our hearts and dream of a better situation for ourselves and our families; dream of better financial lives and better emotional or physical lives; certainly dream of better spiritual lives. But what makes this even more powerful is that we have also been given the ability to not only dream but to pursue those dreams, and not only to pursue them, but the cognitive ability to actually lay out a plan and strategies (setting goals) to achieve those dreams. Powerful!

What are your dreams and goals? This isn’t what you already have or what you have done, but what you want. Have you ever really sat down and thought through your life values and decided what you really want? Have you ever taken the time to truly reflect, to listen quietly to your heart, to see what dreams live within you? Your dreams are there. Everyone has them. They may live right on the surface, or they may be buried deep from years of others telling you they were foolish, but they are there.

So how do we know what our dreams are? This is an interesting process and it relates primarily to the art of listening. This is not listening to others; it is listening to yourself. If we listen to others, we hear their plans and dreams (and many will try to put their plans and dreams on us). If we listen to others, we can never be fulfilled. We will only chase elusive dreams that are not rooted deep within us. No, we must listen to our own hearts.

Let’s take a look at some practical steps/thoughts on hearing from our hearts on what our dreams are:

• Take time to be quiet. This is something that we don’t do enough in this busy world of ours. We rush, rush, rush, and we are constantly listening to noise all around us. The human heart was meant for times of quiet, to peer deep within. It is when we do this that our hearts are set free to soar and take flight on the wings of our own dreams! Schedule some quiet "dream time" this week. No other people. No cell phone. No computer. Just you, a pad, a pen, and your thoughts.
• Think about what really thrills you. When you are quiet, think about those things that really get your blood moving. What would you LOVE to do, either for fun or for a living? What would you love to accomplish? What would you try if you were guaranteed to succeed? What big thoughts move your heart into a state of excitement and joy? When you answer these questions, you will feel great and you will be in the "dream zone." It is only when we get to this point that we experience what our dreams are!
• Write down all of your dreams as you have them. Don’t think of any as too outlandish or foolish—remember, you’re dreaming! Let the thoughts fly and take careful record.
• Now, prioritize those dreams. Which are most important? Which are most feasible? Which would you love to do the most? Put them in the order in which you will actually try to attain them. Remember, we are always moving toward action, not just dreaming.

Here is the big picture: Life is too short to not pursue your dreams. Someday your life will near its end and all you will be able to do is look backward. You can reflect with joy or regret. Those who dream, who set goals and act on them to live out their dreams, are those who live lives of joy and have a sense of peace when they near the end of their lives. They have finished well, for themselves and for their families.

Remember: These are the dreams and goals that are born out of your heart and mind. These are the goals that are unique to you and come from who you were created to be and gifted to become. Your specific goals are what you want to attain because they are what will make your life joyful and bring your family’s life into congruence with what you want it to be.


This article was excerpted from The Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan. It’s time for a mid-year success checkup! Are you focused and on course for reaching your goals? Are you on the right track mentally, physically, spiritually, financially, relationally and otherwise? If you’re not on course, or you’ve lost momentum or you never even got started, we’ve got an incredible offer for you. Join The Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan for ONLY $9.97 a month for the first 3 months, then ONLY $17.97 for each of the remaining 9 months! Plus, receive more than $300 in bonus materials, including a special bonus! Click here now for complete details or to enroll.

"Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination."     Fitzhugh Dodson

What now?

Right now, I really suggest you take appropriate action. What are your goals in life? Briefly think about your own dreams. Are they crystal clear or hazy and vague?

If your dreams are hazy and vague then you need to correct that. Nobody else can do it for you! And until your dreams and goals are clear you are what Zig Ziglar calls a wandering generality (Read more about Zig Ziglar). Your goal is to be a "meaningful specific" -- find out what you want to do and consistently work on following that path.

If you haven't found out your dreams then take some quiet time to do personal reflection. This article has time-tested solid advice that Jim Rohn learned from his mentor Earl Shoaff. Do your reflection. Write things down too if it helps or you are stuck. Once you have your dreams then take the necessary steps to make sure you are following them, and make sure you don't accidentally fall into another person's plans by mistake. If you want Jim Rohn's help along the way then click here now for complete details on Jim's One-Year Success Plan or to enroll.

Are you getting cooked in the squat? Not sure what I'm asking? Well, let inspirational master and guru Zig Ziglar explain a little more about what it means to get cooked in the squat...



This video clip is from one of Zig Ziglar's seminars, but he tells it slightly better in one of his audiobooks, Goals: Setting And Achieving Them On Schedule. That's the actual audiobook I was listening to that sparked me to write this up. I've listened to that story numerous times and it's just so good.

"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great."     Zig Ziglar

At first, getting cooked in the squat was a funny story that I knew was true for me at times. It also became a common saying amongst me and my friends, usually in jest. However, the more I hear it the more I realize just how common this problem is. It's a problem of procrastination and it's easy to justify putting things off. The excuses Zig Ziglar quotes in the video clip are a dime a dozen and no doubt we all probably used them at some point. Ultimately, we only cheat ourselves out of something we can never regain -- our time.

So, watch the video again. Let it soak in. Heck, send the video to your friends so you can help each other out like I did when I first heard Zig's anecdote. Most importantly, do something today that you've been putting off!

Hard work! I don't think it's ever under-appreciated, and every now and then we're really got to throw it down! Burn a little midnight oil!



Maybe you've got a tough day ahead of you or you know of one coming up, so let these quotes on hard work inspire you. Use them in your daily life and you will inspire others as well!

Quotes on Hard Work

Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory.

Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus.

What we really want to do is what we are really meant to do. When we do what we are meant to do, money comes to us, doors open for us, we feel useful, and the work we do feels like play to us.

The harder I work the more I live.

Leaders aren't born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.

Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.

Work while it is called today, for you know not how much you will be hindered tomorrow. One today is worth two tomorrow's; never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.

I come to the office each morning and stay for long hours doing what has to be done to the best of my ability. And when you've done the best you can, you can't do any better. So when I go to sleep I turn everything over to the Lord and forget it.

To get even more out of these quotes on hard work pick out a few quotes and write them on a notecard. Carry the card with you and read it throughout the day. For even more absorption of these quotes into your mentality try to one or more in your daily talk with others. Of course, you could also inspire others by sharing a great quote on hard work with them!

You may be asking yourself, "Why arent I making more money?" Personal development superstar Jim Rohn has a blunt response to that: You aren't very valuable to the MARKETPLACE! He'll expound on that in the video.

As you'll see in this brief Jim Rohn video he succinctly answers the question, how do you get more money? Some people strike, some people coast, and some people climb the proverbial ladder of success. One of my favorite Jim Rohn quotes says "You cant get rich by demand." I like that, but I also favor a capitalistic economy. I actually own this entire, fantastic seminar on DVD; the video in this blog is an excerpt from Jim Rohn's How to Have Your Best Year Ever.

Become more valuable

The short answer to getting paid more, moving up that ladder of success, and achieving your goals is to become more valuable. Values you can improve include just about anything: sales, communication, accounting, marketing, leadership, persuasion, recruiting and especially your attitude.

Another great idea from this Jim Rohn seminar is when he talks about waiting for raises or people who just hope for a raise. He boldly proclaims that it's easier to climb than to wait for a raise! And here's an interesting question to ask yourself if you're still on the fence as far as working harder on yourself or waiting: Why not become more valuable than wait for a raise?

How did Jim Rohn go from being broke working as a Sears cashier to being worth millions? His simple answer: "I changed. I turned my life around."

"Learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job."

The secret is to work harder on yourself than you do on your job. This is one of Jim Rohn's quotes that really effected my life and my decisions in daily life. It really is one of those rare quotes that has the ability to easily change your life... if you adopt it as part of your own philosophy. When it comes right down to it, it's actually pretty simple on how to raise your value in the marketplace.

Jim Rohn video clip from "How to Have Your Best Year Ever"

This Jim Rohn video clip is from my favorite DVD How to Have Your Best Year Ever. And when I say my favorite DVD that's an unconditional statement -- this is actually my favorite DVD. Maybe that means I'm a tiny bit nerdy, but I can credit this single Jim Rohn DVD to changing a lot in my life, especially my views and philosophy on some important topics in life. It's that rare DVD that after watching I can say for absolute certainty that my life is better! How many videos can you say that about?

What do you do if you're depressed? Can depression self help books, personal development guru's or counseling help? What if you can't access a professional in your life? (Lord knows that at least America is underinsured and millions don't get the mental help they would so dearly benefit from.)

It’s a very tough situation to be in. Well, there are some answers to this challenge. We don't have to look to drugs, although drugs can and do work for many people. Again, however, this is expensive. Furthermore, there is a HUGE tradeoff when it comes to anti-depression drugs. Forget the cost, there are side effects such as far worse "lows" when the medication wears off, more drastic ups-and-downs (think the proverbial roller coaster), and of course there is the issue of drug-dependence. Dependence can be both physiological and psychological.

What do you think is worse: needing a drug to function at your best or thinking you must have drugs to function at all? For many people, they've developed severely disempowering beliefs and they tell themselves that they MUST have substance XYZ in order to function at all. I don't know about you, but that's just about the last thing I want to walk myself into. One of the hallmarks of this personal development blog and my mission is to instill personal responsibility in myself and you.

Who does depression effect?

I'm not going to bother with the literature on this one, but let's be real here. Do you know someone who has been depressed in the last year? Were you depressed in the last 5 years?

Maybe it didn't last long, and that's great if it didn't, but still it is no surprise that depression has peeked its ugly head into just about everyone's life at some point. For some it is a mere unfortunate event, but for others it is a heavy, heavy burden that other people have a hard time understanding. The fact is clear that depression is far more rampant than most people are aware of.

What can you do for depression?

The popular saying "Just do it" is great advice... if you're already doing it. How worthless advice is that to a smart person who feels the weight of even mild depression? It's not like when a person becomes depressed they become stupid! Chances are they know what they could do, even if it's minor. Part of the problem is, however, they aren't sure how effective what they already know could be. Another part of the problem is simply not knowing what to do. Another one of my goals for this blog is to inform and educate (notice the brief headline at the very top of each page – Inspiration, Motivation, and Information).

If your body is in such bad shape, and you feed it so poorly with junk food and candy for years you may not have a clue that your diet contributed to your depression. In fact, you might rationalize it subconsciously by knowing that your diet has been the same for YEARS. Meanwhile, during that entire time your body was simply being overrun piece by piece.

To paint a better picture, think of a bodybuilder who starts to just take it a little easier in the gym. He won't look totally different in a day, a month, or possibly even a year. But 3 years down the road he may end up looking like a weekend warrior instead of a highly trained athlete. I really like the words of a favorite Jim Rohn quote that goes something like "Failure does not happen overnight." Your poor physical and mental condition is no different.

I should point out that I've never had major depression. I know enough about it, having studied it in school, to know that it requires serious help and it's beyond the scope of this blog. However, I've felt bad before. I know this. I've never been diagnosed, but I know enough to know that my life was... well, far below what I wanted.

This was before I began my study of self improvement. I didn’t realize all the powerful tools available for anyone. I was stuck in a scientific frame of mind, and so help me god if something didn't check out on pubmed or the medical journals I would be the first one to discount it. So what did I do? For a long time I didn't do much. That’s not what you want to hear, and I wouldn't suggest you take that advice though. The good news is that you can do something, anything, and it’s pretty much painless.

Depression self help books

Priscilla Slagle, MD offers an eBook - free download pdf - called The Way Up From Down: Rid Yourself of Stress, Low Moods, and Depression with this Easy to Follow, Drug-Free Program of B-Vitamins & Amino Acids. It is a free, natural therapy for depression you could and should start with if you're doing nothing about your low moods or depression.

What drew me to this book in the first place I think was the fact that Priscilla Slagle is a legitimate medical doctor and the book was free and easy to download. It's really not one of those hard-sell bait and switch type deals that are rampant on the internet (and that I really dislike).

Does the title of the book sound too good to be true? Maybe to some it does. They probably won't bother reading it. But if you do read it you'll be doing something about your situation to make it better, and that's what is most important right now. The book doesn't push products or force you to buy more of anything to get the "real" information. It just takes a look at your situation and how you can naturally treat depression. Even if it only helped me get 2% better when I read it, I'd say that's totally worth it. I paid 0 dollars for the book, so that's about an infinite return on investment right?

What id really like to see you do today is to start reading The Way Up From Down if you’re having depression or even low moods that you want to get rid of. Moreover, beyond just starting to read it, come back here and let me know what you think of it. Use this accountability and knowledge that your feedback can help others along with yourself. If you came here looking for depression self help, you found it. It’s been delivered to you; but remember that everything in your life is up to you to do something with. I look forward to hearing from you!