So, will your dream remain a liketodo or will you turn it into a willtodo?
Practice these four strategies.

Within the next few weeks, college students around the country will report to their respective campuses.  With dreams in their eyes, they have a major choice in front of them:  “What will they do to reach those dreams?”  The “do” is important.  Many people (students and others) have a long list of “liketodos”—but they come up short on the “willtodos.”

Video recommendation for the week:

Pay attention to your vocabulary. Three demotivating words.

You see, the dreaming is the easy part. Anyone can set a goal. When we cut to the chase, though, it comes down to whether or not we take the action needed to achieve the goal.  Are we in it for the long run—or will we fold like the proverbial cheap beach chair as soon as the going gets a little dicey? Setting goals is easy. Achieving them requires effort.

Remember that the intersection of “coulda-woulda-shoulda” is “I didn’t!”

In a recent post, Seth Godin asked a simple question: “Will I see you tomorrow?” That is, is there fortitude behind the dream?

I shared four key strategies with the Early College students this week. I previously posted these under the title of it takes more than academics to succeed in college. I want to revisit these for anyone moving toward a dream. You would do well to practice them. Take a moment right now.  Reflect on one of your dreams. Apply the following:

1. Relationships. A cornerstone of success will be the healthy and nutritious connections you make.  Mentors, coaches, teachers, accountability partners—whatever you call them, build a solid support network. Jettison the toxic folks. Find people who know what you want to know and do what you would like to do.  Be a sponge!  Soak up the wisdom. Be curious! Ask questions. Grow.

2. Resources. Identify resources you have at your disposal. Know the resources you still need. Your relationships will help you here.  For college students, there are so many resources on your campus dedicated to making you successful on your dream journey. You have to do two things: find them and use them.

Image: Stuart Miles/
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3. Priorities. Know what is non-negotiable in your life. What are the must-haves and must-dos on your way to the dream? Don’t betray yourself or your passion.  Move with purpose. Use your relationships and resources to help guide you.  Avoid the quick fix; the easy-way out; the short cuts. Your dream will require effort.

4. Choices.  More specifically, pay attention to the choices you make concerning your well-being and life balance.  Your health (physical, emotional, spiritual, social, intellectual, and financial) needs to be one of those non-negotiables in your life.

So, will your dream remain a liketodo or will you turn it into a willtodo?  How bad do you want it?

Choose well. Live well. Be well—and H.T.R.B. as needed!

On Friday, September 13, I will offer my next webinar. The topic: Supporting Our Adjunct Faculty: The Forgotten Teachers of Academia.   Take advantage of this complementary offering.  Click here to register now for the webinar.  Or go to my website for registration information. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post. Please share it (and any of the archived posts on this site) with friends and colleagues. You also can follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. If you get a chance, visit my Facebook page and join in–or start–a conversation (www.facebook.com/stevepiscitelli).  If you have suggestions for future posts, leave a comment. Make it a wonderful week!

 ©2013. Steve Piscitelli