Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the greatest visionary leaders of our time. His famous “I have a dream” speech, delivered in 1963 from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, is among the most inspiring speeches in human history. His ability to articulate his vision for racial equality was pivotal in advancing civil rights in this country.

Now, one problem with seeing a dramatically better future is that it takes a lot of work to make it come true. And it can be controversial. Dr. King paid the ultimate price for his efforts to bring his dream into reality. While you’re not likely to face such severe consequences when pursuing your own dreams, you can expect roadblocks, mistakes and resistance—most of it unpredictable. Even after a lot of striving, you could still fail.

But if you want your life to have meaning and purpose, you need to think about what you’d like your future to look like. What can you imagine that would be better than where you are right now?

In her terrific business book, The Accidental Millionaire*, Stephanie Frank recommends asking yourself a simple four-word question:


To go deeper and build greater commitment to your vision, Stephanie suggests that you devote time to answering these additional questions:

• WHY do you want this?
• WHEN do you want it?
• What will you give up or overcome to get it?
• What is your PLAN to get there?

These are important questions to answer because, for a dream to become reality—first, you need to visualize what you want, and then you have to work on it. Once you have that clear mental image, you look forward to getting up every morning because you know you’ll be doing what you care about most.

The majority of people never take time to think about, much less answer, these kinds of questions. So it’s not surprising that they don’t achieve much in their lives.

Here’s how to set yourself apart.

1. Devote some quiet time to write down your honest, thoughtful responses to each question.

2. Then take just five minutes first thing each morning to do two things: visualize your dream and mentally rehearse your day.

Use your imagination to create a vivid picture of the outcome you want and how you’ll feel when you achieve it. The sharper the image you build in your mind and the stronger the emotions you associate with it, the more you’ll be motivated and excited about making it happen.

*You can get a FREE copy of The Accidental Millionaire on Stephanie Frank’s site. Grab your copy now and READ it.