Marcia Wieder on Living Your Dreams

Dubbed “America’s Dream Coach,” Marcia Wieder teaches individuals the core essentials for achieving dreams. Founder and CEO of Dream University, an enrichment and training center, Wieder has appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and “The Today Show” and is the author of Making Your Dreams Come True and Life is But a Dream. To inspire and motivate an army of dreamers, she has created workshops and fostered an online community, Amazingdreamers.com. Here, Wieder shares her insights into dream chasing.

What are some of the obstacles people face when starting on the path to pursuing their dreams?

The biggest obstacle that people think they have is time and money. But the bigger obstacle is actually fear and doubt. In the first 30 days, there’s not often evidence that your dream is a good idea, or that this is the right time to pursue it.

What are some of the feelings that people associate with pursuing their dreams?

There’s both the elation and the terror—the fear of failing. Just know that as you access the dreamer inside of you—the part that says, “Yes, I can”—you’re also probably accessing the doubter inside—the part that says, “No, I can’t”. You want to turn the dreamer up and the doubter down.

What are the important steps to take during the first 30 days?

One is you have to have an incredibly clear vision. So use those first 30 days to write the dream out and talk to other people about it. By articulating your dream with clarity, you get more and more clear about it. You can’t design a strategy and a plan unless you know what your dream is.

The shortcut step in achieving your dream is sharing your dream with other people. But we don’t like to do that because we might fail, others might laugh at us, we might mess up or others might steal our ideas. There really is something about believing in your dream, demonstrating you believe in it by talking about it and, ultimately, taking action.

What kinds of action steps should individuals take?

During that first 30 days, do something every day to demonstrate that you’re more committed to your dream than your doubt or fear. It could be setting up a bank account, setting up your desk, buying a computer or getting a basic web site up. Every single time you do something where you can start to see the dream in front of you, it becomes a little more real.

Why do you think the first 30 days is such a vital time?

Because it’s a do-or-die time. If you don’t step out right in the beginning, the dream could disappear and reality gets in the way. So there’s something really potent about showing yourself and the world that you’re serious about it by taking quick action.

How can people really succeed during the first 30 days?

It’s critical that you have a support system around you, whether it’s a professional coach, family or friends. The most important thing is to get somebody who will supportively hold you accountable, because the people who are most successful are people who walk their talk and live with integrity. The more we keep our agreements, the more we trust ourselves. The more we trust ourselves, the more we’re going to take risks and then the bigger we’re going to dream.

What attitude should people have when pursuing their dreams?

Our attitudes and beliefs are never neutral: They either move you forward or hold you back. A lot of people forget that they choose what they believe. So have a core belief, whether it’s “Anything is possible” or “I can do it.” Put it on a Post-it note on your refrigerator, your computer and your phone. If you don’t believe in yourself and your dream, you’re not going to act on it.

What should people do to ensure success beyond the first 30 days?

Create some kind of visual pull so you can see the progress you’re making. It might be a calendar system; I have a big calendar in my office with dots that represent different things.

SIGNATURE QUESTIONS

What is the belief you personally go to during times of change?

Anything is possible.

“The best thing about change is...”

…it’s temporal. It’s always changing. It’s like the weather: If you don’t like it, wait awhile; it’ll change.

What’s the best change you have ever made?

Having the courage to stop doing work that was unfulfilling and to start a business that’s really making a contribution to the world.

For more information on Marcia Wieder, visit www.dreamcoach.com or www.amazingdreamers.com. To sign up for your free ebooks, designed to help you achieve your dreams, visit www.dreamcoach.com/gift