“Dreams don’t work unless you do.” This quote by John Maxwell reminds us that we can dream, but unless we do the work to fulfill that dream, it’ll remain just that — a dream.

Wouldn’t it be easier if we could just dream our dream, set our goals, and everything would go perfectly with a minimum of work? If you’ve been on this earth for very long (and I have), you realize it really doesn’t work that way. We have to put in the work for our dreams to be successful.

We have to have a plan, put in consistent effort, and stick with it, even when things get hard.

I have to admit, I haven’t been doing much work toward fulfilling my dream of being an artist lately. It’s not that I’ve given up on it; it’s just that I’ve needed to focus on other things for a bit. That’s life, isn’t it?

Now in my case, my painting is just a hobby for me, so if I need to take breaks from it, or don’t make a lot of progress, it’s not such a big deal. BUT if I really want to become the artist I want to be, I need to do the work, even if I have to take breaks from time to time.

And I need to stick with it.

Perseverance is key.

You know how, when you do a search, you get that AI Overview now? When I did my search for who originally authored the quote above, I got a whole blurb about how turning our dreams into reality requires actual work. One of the most impactful things for me was this:

Perseverance is key: Many dreams require significant effort over time, and the ability to persist through challenges is crucial for success. 

~Google AI Overview

I think I’ve mentioned before that perseverance isn’t my strong suit. I just tend to move on from things if I don’t feel they’re working out, but when you’re building a dream, you have to be willing to work on it, often for a long time.

That means having a plan to overcome obstacles, and taking small steps toward that dream whenever you can.

Overcoming Obstacles

It’s often helpful to think of the possible obstacles you could face and brainstorm ways you could deal with them if they come up. Of course, I try not to spend too much time thinking up obstacles, or I could talk myself out of even trying, but it is helpful to have a game plan for those times that things come up.

For instance, over these next few weeks, I won’t be in my usual environment, so I won’t have all my supplies, or the time, that I usually do to paint. My plan is to take my travel palette, my travel sketchbook, and some pre-cut bookmarks with me and paint whenever I have the chance. That way, I’ll still be able to practice. As I’ve said before, painting small is a great way to practice water and brush control, so this could have the bonus effect of making me a better painter.

Whatever we’re working on, when we face an obstacle, rather than letting it derail us, we can find a way to overcome it. It may require a little creativity and a lot of hard work, but aren’t our dreams worth the work? After all, how many times have people given up on their dream just a little bit short of success?

What tips do you have for holding onto your dream and overcoming obstacles you encounter? Please share!