Stop Daydreaming and Start Doing

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Now back to your late (I accidentally set it for 6:30 PM instead of 6:30 AM) regularly scheduled Optimistic Outlook newsletter…

Stop Daydreaming and Start Doing

It’s easy to daydream.

You might not even try, yet your mind drifts to a brighter future. The promotion, the new house, the new work opportunity, or the version of yourself you want to become.

Dreams like that aren’t bad. They reveal your desire for something more. But here’s the truth: daydreaming alone doesn’t move you forward.

Marcus Freeman, the head football coach at Notre Dame, knows this well. A former linebacker whose playing career ended early because of a heart condition, Freeman turned his energy toward coaching. He tells his players repeatedly, “You can’t daydream about an uncertain future.”

What he means is simple. Wishing for victory on Saturday doesn’t make it happen. What matters is what you do on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. He’s seen what happens when players get caught up in what might happen. They lose focus on what’s right in front of them.

That’s why the highest performers live where their feet are. They put their attention on what actions they can take today and allow tomorrow to take care of itself.

Tennis superstar, Novak Djokovic, said it this way: “Learn from the past, live in the present, and work for the future.”

What Djokovic gets right is working for the future, not daydreaming of the future. When you’re daydreaming about an uncertain future, you’re not living in the present or working for the future. You’re imagining a world that cannot exist without actions taken today.

So instead of drifting into what might be, direct your energy into what can be done right now. Then and only then will your dreams have a chance of coming true.

Have a day!

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