Is It a Dream or a Goal?

by Kelvin Shiu

Is it better to have dreams or goals, or in fact none of the above? Every single person is different in their own profound way and what defines you is not what others see in you, but what you see in yourself. The word ‘dream’ suggests a level of fantasy, it implies a concept of the imagination, something that will unlikely be achieved. However, in contrast the word ‘goal’ suggests something which one can pragmatically strive forward to achieve.  There are those who strive towards their ‘dreams’ and those who strive towards their ‘goals’. But, does there really need to be a line which defines which is which? Does it really matter which is which? Well, that ultimately comes down to the type of person you are as an individual. There is really no right or wrong answer. As a child, one is led to have a vast and wider imagination, which can lead to one pondering over much more fruitful futures than the aged mind of a teen or adult can be lead to believe.

Having dreams is an interesting concept because as humans we all experience limitations.  For example as a young child, you may dream of becoming a superhero with limitless power, perhaps hoping to one day be bitten by a radioactive organism which leads on to the development of supernatural abilities. However, as you age and develop knowledge you develop clarity in your senses and thoughts, and acknowledge the limitations in the world and the limitations that we face everyday being who we are. This pragmatism can dawn on you more and more as you learn more about the world. This seems rather oppressive to the mind, though. Having to acknowledge one’s limitations, and restricting one’s path all the time when pondering about which path to take. Often dreams are achieved, though, especially as not all dreams have to be interpreted as something unworldly and impossible. It is all a matter of perception and much is down to elements which are outside of our control such as luck.

When you use the interpretation of the word ‘dream’ as something near to impossible this draws the unlikelihood of achievement up. However when you decrease your expectations, you often have a higher likelihood of achieving these so called ‘dreams’. Which leads me on to my next point: people who push their goals and aims so low that they end up stuck and unwilling to strive and aspire, because they do not believe they have what it takes, because they feel that lower expectations would make them feel satisfied when they each reach the end of their different paths. Some feel inert and stuck, unwilling to dedicate effort and time as they believe it is not worth it, given the likely fact that they’d failing. Due to different reasons such as the fact they’re not naturally gifted, intelligent or perhaps they convince themselves to believe that there have better things to do in life than dedicating it to these dreams or goals that lay far away in the horizons above and out of their reach. This perception is not one which will get you far in life. As clichéd as it may be- you never know until you try, and I don’t just mean half heartedly committing but in fact dedicating 100% of yourself in achieving what it is you want to achieve. 


However, it is important to understand that every single individual’s path is different to someone else’s, and just because someone may have passions and talent for one thing may not mean that it will be the same for you; for you to truly succeed in something it must be something you are dedicated to and fully passionate about. People often say ‘you can achieve anything...’, well, nothing is achievable without exerting effort. If there was a penny on the floor, completely vulnerable to being picked up by myself, I still have to put in the effort of bending my back to pick up this very coin, nothing is cost-free in this word. A minuscule analogy but one which can be extrapolated to be applied to any journey of life itself.  One may have a weaker back, so it may take effort for someone to pick up this coin, but they can still do it. What I’m trying to stay is no matter how distant a goal may seem, to achieve it it is important to do whatever you can to get to it.

Don’t forget to bear in mind the consequences, though; just like Newton’s third law, every action is countered with an equal and opposite reaction. This is not always the case and may not be the perfect analogy but consequences are nethertheless very important whilst making decisions.

In conclusion, I believe dreams are abstract and complex given the nature of our minds, but these dreams can be broken up into smaller individual goals for us, and with each goal we get closer to the dream. But in order to get even close to this dream you need to keep moving and keep striving, independent of what others may think of you, don’t stop unless there’s no way forward and in the words of Professor Stephen Hawking: ‘However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at’. If you fall, get up again, just never stop moving.