DREAM: The 5-Step Reset to Clear Your Head and Build Your Future

"What do you want?"

These are the types of responses I get even after giving more specifics and guiding them a bit...

"I have no idea."
"I want to get this one thing in the next few years. (By when? 2 years? 3 years? 10 years?) Uhhh, I'm not sure."
"To build generational wealth for my family. (How much is that?) Uhhh...I don't know."
"Oh yeah, I want this thing and I want to travel to all these places and I want to get a new house and I want to have another kid and I want to start another business and I want to invest a ton of money and I want to solve this problem in my community and I want to do everything all at once!

These types of answers have the same issues...

There is no set deadline except "someday" which is the only day that's not a day.
When you press with a question or two, it falls apart meaning there's not much conviction.
Most answers are full of vague concepts, timelines or reasons.
They can almost never answer WHY they want these things which means these are ideas not dreams.

Society is succeeding at its mission. Throw so much information and complexity at individuals that their time, energy, attention, money and soul are so pre-occupied they don't create space in their life for anything except "the next thing."

Distractions destroy dreams.

And the dreamless are easy to control.

Really take a second and think about this...when was the last time you stopped to truly dream? Not just to think about your to-do list or your next project but to imagine a life you’d be excited to live.

The reality is, most people don’t dream anymore. Not because they’ve lost ambition, but because they’ve lost space. Distractions, obligations, and constant busyness crowd out the stillness needed for vision.

Without dreaming, you can’t set a meaningful direction and you’re left running in circles, reacting instead of creating.

That’s why I created the DREAM Framework. It’s a practical way to block out noise, carve space for yourself, and rediscover the clarity that only comes when you dare to imagine a bigger future.

Think of this like a workshop manual. Use it step by step, and you’ll unlock the power of dreaming again. (And if you find this helpful, share it with a friend or family member because dreams are better when we share them with each other).

D – Disconnect

Dreaming requires quiet. Start by shutting down the noise. Turn off notifications, step away from your email, and put your phone in another room.

The goal is to give your brain uninterrupted space to think.

Functional benefit: When you disconnect, you lower stress hormones and free up mental bandwidth. This gives your brain room to move from problem-solving mode into creative, big-picture thinking.

R – Reflect

Once you’ve created quiet, reflect. Ask yourself questions you rarely make time for:

What do I want my life to look like in three years?

What activities make me feel alive?

What would I do if money and time weren’t obstacles?

Functional benefit: Reflection helps you sort through the noise of external expectations. It reveals your true values and priorities, making sure your dreams are rooted in what actually matters to you.

E – Envision

Now it’s time to give yourself permission to dream without limits. Don’t censor. Don’t edit. Do NOT ask “how” yet.

Tony Robbins talks about the "tyranny of HOW" and that our brain is wired to shut off when we sense fear of the unknown. Dreaming is about exploring the unknown so save the HOW for later. Focus on the WHAT for now.

Let yourself paint a picture of the life you’d love to live in vivid detail.

Functional benefit: Envisioning activates the brain’s reward centers and boosts motivation. The clearer the picture you create, the more your brain starts working subconsciously to move you toward it.

A – Align

Not every dream is worth chasing. Align your vision with your identity and values.

Which ideas truly resonate with who you are?

Which would you still want even if nobody else approved?

Functional benefit: Alignment ensures you don’t waste energy on goals that look good on paper but leave you empty. It protects you from burnout by making sure your dreams fuel you instead of drain you.

M – Map

Finally, turn the dream into movement. Write down the first 2–3 small steps you could take right now.

Don’t overthink it. The purpose isn’t to plan everything. It’s to prove to yourself that progress is possible.

Functional benefit: Mapping your dream to immediate action builds momentum. It transforms a lofty idea into a real direction, which creates hope and keeps you engaged.

The Challenge

Most people stop at envisioning. But I want to push you further. After you work through the DREAM framework, ask yourself these 2 questions...

1. How long do I think it will take me to accomplish this?

2. If I absolutely had to accomplish this dream in 6 months, how would I try to do it?

Even if you don’t fully achieve them, the act of wrestling with this question forces your brain to think differently.

You’ll start to notice shortcuts, opportunities, things that aren't that necessary in the process and creative solutions that you would have ignored before. And that alone will accelerate your results.

Take time to DREAM in the next 24 hours.

You only get one go on this space rock.

So do not waste this beautiful opportunity called "life" living someone else's plan for your life. Live yours!