50 tips to achieve your dreams Take these pointers with you as you chase after your dreams.

(We ve included advice from persons who have already achieved theirs!) 1. Make a power playlist. Start your day on a high note by singing along to an encouraging anthem like I Believe by Yolanda Adams or One Step at a Time by Jordin Sparks. Throw in Jimmy Eat World s The Middle for when the road gets bumpy. 2. BE PREPARED TO MAKE SACRIFICES. To achieve my dreams of being a table tennis player, I took lessons and trained really hard. Until now, I spend my weekends training for table tennis. I talk to my coaches and ask them what I need to improve on so I can be better at what I do. Our dreams are within reach if we put in a lot of hard work, time and determination. ---Raven Aragoncillo, 18, table tennis player, Notre Dame of Dadiangas University 3. Join a group where you can interact with fellow enthusiastic. This is a great venue for you to ask questions and keep yourself abreast of the latest trends and development in your area of interest. 4. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. 5. START A DREAM FUND. Cut back on impulse purchases and purposely set aside money that you can later use for foreign language classes, acting workshop, or a new DSLR. 6. Make some popcorn, sit back, and get inspiration from the reel world. Take a cue from good ol go-getters like Elle Woods (Legally Blonde) and Jody Sawyer (Center Stage). 7. DO YOUR BEST NO MATTER WHAT. 8. Check out 8WomenDream.com, where eight American women with different aspirations chronicle their individual journeys. 9. Stop saying I can t and start saying I CAN. 10. MAKE AN INSPIRATION BOARD. 11. Visit TED.com and listen to inspiring 18-minute talks by leaders, innovators, and successful individuals from different fields. 12. Be true to who you are. One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals. ---US First Lady Michelle Obama 13. STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. I dreamt of being a Basketball player since I watched Space jam when I was seven years old. When I saw Michael Jordan, I was inspired to play a sport that was not common for girls. After I tried it, I fell in love with basketball. ---Mae Morales 14. BE OPEN TO OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME YOUR WAY. 15. HAVE A VISION FOR THE FUTURE. The purpose for which you are pursuing a particular dream is what will keep you going when things get tough. You may not know how you re going to get there, but you should know why you want to. ---Chirna Cuna, 24, host and producer at Flippish.com 16. Read fun and inspiring children s books like Oh, The Places You ll Go! by Dr. Seuss. 17. Don t compare yourself with others. This will only discourage or distract you. Some dreams come true in a short span of time; others take much longer. 18. ASK FOR HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT. 19. Be brave in the pursuit of your dreams. You have to expect that things always start out difficult, but if you stick it out, you ll eventually get there. ---Owee Salva, 26, Photographer 20. SPEND A DAY OUTDOORS FOR A DOSE OF INSPIRATION.

21. Ditch the negative vibes. Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. --Mark Twain 22. Window-shop. Hit the malls to canvass prices of textiles, craft and beading materials, or photography equipment. This will give you an idea of where to source materials and how much they cost. 23. Pause to reflect and evaluate. Are you making progress? Do you need to change your time frame? Do you still want what you re working toward? You might find that a certain point, your dreams have completely changed---that s perfectly okay. 24. PRAY. Trust God to bring your biggest and wildest dreams to life---at the perfect time. I ve learned that God s plans for us are always better than the ones we plan for ourselves. ---Chrina Curna 25. Stop making excuses. Let go of all excuses and take charge. Understand that you will have to do actual dirty work yourself. ---Owee Salva 26. NEVER GIVE UP. 27. Check out second hand bookstores. New and update how-to books cost a small fortune, so start with discounted magazines---you can pick up basic knowledge and a handful of tricks from these. 28. Take care of your body. The stronger and healthier you are, the better you will be able to go after your dreams. 29. GIVE YOUR FUTURE SELF A NUDGE! Go to FutureMe.org, compose some motivational e-mails to yourself and indicate when you want to receive the letters in your inbox. A year from now, it would be totally cool to get a note saying, Dear self, I knew you could do it! 30. Take every experience---whether related to your dream or not---as an opportunity to learn. If you do, then each experience will bring you closer to your goal, even if you don t realize it immediately. 31. READ THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISIONS YOU LL EVER MAKE BY SEAN COVEY. The book will guide you to make smart choices that can make or break your future---and your dreams. 32. AVOID DISTRACTIONS. 33. Have fun! Life s too short to take everything too seriously. Have fun in process of fulfilling your dream. ---Erika Jaymee Rodica 34. Watch reality TV shows like America s Next Top Model and Hell s Kitchen. They might not portray reality to a T, but they do give aspiring models and restaurateurs an educational glimpse into the careers they want to pursue. 35. Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness. ---Oprah Winfrey 36. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! 37. TURN THE NEGATIVE INTO SOMETHING POSSITIVE. College students Stacy and Danah Gutierrez, 19, are two of the country s most dedicated love your body propagandists. After battling their own personal weight issues, which resulted in stacy s hospitalization for bulimia, the twin sisters decided it was time to reach out and promote body awareness to a society that condemned fullfigured teens. They began their blog, www.theplumpinay.com, one year ago and have since inspired hundreds of readers from all over the world. 38. HELP OTHERS. I tried my best to write stories that have substance and that would mean something to people. One teenager actually stopped crash dieting after reading one of my stories, and another one was inspired to write after seeing my book. My dream came true because my stories were able to help other people. ---Samantha Mae Coyiuto, 15, author of Flight to the Stars

39. Have Faith. When God gives you a dream, He will give you opportunities to achieve it. ---Stacy and Danah Gutierrez 40. Keep a dream journal. As soon as you wake, make a note of what you dreamt about. The dreams you have in your sleep could be clues to achieving your waking dreams. 41. LISTEN TO YOUR HEART---BUT DON T DISREGARD YOUR MIND. 42. Surround yourself with cheerleaders. These are the people who believe in you and who can encourage you when the going gets tough. 43. SHARE THE FRUITS OF YOUR LABOR. Don t be afraid to show off your work. You ll never know if they re really good unless you let someone else see them. There might be people who ll criticize your work but the fact that you have guts to share it with the public trumps any blast a critic can give! ---Samantha Mae Coyiuto 44. Get ready for detours, because it won t be an express road to success. In The Devil Wears Prada, aspiring reporter Andy Sachs took on the job of Miranda Priestley s junior personal assistant, hoping she d eventually land a journalistic position elsewhere---and she did! 45. Look for like-minded dreamers and feed off theirs positive energy. 46. ACCEPT THAT THINGS MAY NOT ALWAYS GO ACCORDING TO PLAN---AND MOST OF THE TIME, SOMETHING EVEN BETTER COMES ALONG. 47. FIND SOLUTIONS. When an obstacle blocks the path to your dreams, think of a creative way to go around it. 48. STAY FOCUSED. You should know what you want and do everything you can to fulfill your dream. Keep an eye out for seminars and events that can guide you in your field. ---Erika Jaymee Rodica, 20, student and owner of TheDaintyShop.com 49. Live by your principles. Don t lie, cheat, or hurt others to achieve your dreams. 50. Stay motivated. There will be time when you ll get tired and want to give up. Remember why you went after your dream in the first place and push yourself to go even farther!