The Dream Manager

How would you like a Dream Manager? Somebody you meet with once a month for an hour long session to discuss your personal dreams and strategies on how to obtain them.

I just finished reading The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly. A book I would highly recommend. This book has been sitting on a shelf in my "unread books" bookcase for a few years now. I am a firm believer in the fact that you will read a book when the time is right to read it. It was the right time.

Even though this is technically a business book, there is so much material in here that you can apply to your personal life. Whether you are in the business world, a stay at home mom, or a retiree. We all have dreams or at least we all should have dreams. Dreams that motivate us to live our lives to their full potential. 

This is from the inside flap of the jacket cover...

The fictional company in this remarkable book

 is grappling with real problems of high turnover

 and low morale -- so the managers begin to investigate

 what really drives the employees. What they discover

 is that the key to motivation isn't necessarily the promise

 of a bigger paycheck or title, but rather the fulfillment 

of crucial personal dreams. They also learn that people

 at every level need to be offered specific kinds of help

 and encouragement--or our dreams will forever remain 

just dreams as we grow dissatisfied with our jobs and our lives.

So the fictional company, Admiral Janitorial Services, creates the position of Dream Manager. The manager's soul purpose is to meet with employees once a month for an hour and discuss their personal dreams and together come up with strategies on how to obtain those dreams. The dream manager helps employees that are committed to their dreams obtain their first house, their first two week vacation, or something as wonderful as their first "real" Christmas.

This book made me realize that we all need a dream manager, but we can also be a dream manger for someone; our spouse, our children, our best friend. All we need to do is encourage them to tell us a few of their dreams and most importantly, really listen to what they are saying. Talk through some ways to obtain these dreams, a lot of times they already know the answers, they just need to verbalize them. We must also be willing to share our dreams in return.

In our personal and professional lives,

we are constantly crossing paths with

people who have dreams that are fallow

or stagnant because nobody has 

encouraged them to clearly define those

dreams and pursue them.

So how do we get started? Find somebody that we are comfortable sharing our dreams with, a spouse,  a friend, a parent, or even an on-line friend, somebody that you know will truly listen. Schedule a meeting time once a month to discuss each other's dreams.

Next...

• Start writing down your dreams, Mr. Kelly recommends a list of a hundred, using these twelve categories for guidelines:

1. Physical
2. Emotional
3. Intellectual
4. Spiritual
5. Psychological
6. Material
7. Professional
8. Financial
9. Creative
10. Adventure
11. Legacy
12. Character

• Get yourself a Dream Book. A notebook/journal where you can write your down dreams or paste pictures of your dreams. Something visual and tangible that you can look at over and over again. 
• Date your dreams as you add them to your Dream Book.
• Date them again when you achieve them. 

In time, you will look back on your dreams you 

though were impossible when you wrote them down

 and be amazed at the ease with which they were 

finally accomplished...and you will marvel at

 how much you have advanced in the journey.

I am going to get out my journal that I have used for a few classes without much success at filling and fill that thing up all the way. 

What about you? What are some of your dreams? I would love to hear one.