Tasks Vs Dreams

I recently came across this wonderful quote by Alden Mills, an Ex-Navy Seal who said- ” If you know you can do it, and you know what it takes, it is a task, not a dream!!”

It is a task if you know exactly what to do and the process to get to the outcome you desire. A task is something that you know you can achieve without worrying too much about getting it wrong. Tasks are predictable and fill you with a sense of comfort because you are on familiar ground.

A dream, on the other hand, is uncertain. When you have a dream to do something or achieve something, it means it is beyond your reach presently. It is just an idea, a vision, and a desire for something aspirational yet risky. You don’t know the exact path or process to achieve it.

If you want to pursue your dreams, it is implicit that you need to embrace the uncertainty, the risk. The bigger the vision, the bigger the unknown, and the greater the sense of uncertainty.

So if you have a dream to do something different- Founding a company, changing your career path, taking on a new job, or pursuing some art- don’t waste time, seeking total clarity and certainty. That will never come, however hard you try. You just have to feel comfortable with the uncertainty and take the jump. And when you make the jump, you will realize that it is never as scary as it looks, and you are stronger and more capable than you thought.

Don’t be afraid to pursue your dreams. They are the pathway to your highest potential.