Since age 13, I have yearned to stand on top of the hills overlooking Machu Picchu. I was fascinated by the mystery and the exotic beauty of it. I studied the photos and would daydream for hours. I decided that someday I was going to visit the site and learn more about it.

Ten years later, a good friend of mine shared with me his dream to hike Northern Chile. He mentioned his longing to go spelunking in Valle De La Luna and San Pedro de la Atacama. Although, we were not in a position to justify the trip we spent hundreds of hours talking about it.

Four years after having discussed the adventure, we committed to go no matter the sacrifice (that is as long as our wives approved). We shook hands, purchased tickets, and most importantly convinced our wives to give us permission. We planned for the trip one year before the date of departure. During which time we would plot our destinations and earn money to afford the expenses.

Suddenly, several opportunities presented themselves making my trip financially possible. I was offered a nice side income and was given the flexibility from my employer to pursue the opportunity. My vision of work changed. I was working 9 to 5 as a negotiator for a law firm and began hunting houses for a real estate investor at night. I felt as though any risk were worth the sacrifice necessary to live my dream. I hung pictures of Machu Picchu in my office to remind me of my vision.

There were a lot of days that I didn’t want to pursue a side income. I didn’t want the rejection that came with sales and I didn’t want the stress of two jobs. However, the excitement of the trip was very powerful and I pushed through it.

Preparing for the adventure was very anti-climatic. The date came, we had the money, time, and spouse approval to go and without much conflict we reached a 15-year dream. The trip itself was much more dramatic than what led to it. Mostly in a good way, with the exception of a 12 hour bus ride seated behind a Peruvian cat in serious need of pet friendly Imodium.

I learned a few lessons upon returning home. First, I found an old list of dreams that I had written a couple of years earlier. Actually, the very first thing I found was a very tired and stressed wife who vowed to never allow me to live another dream EVER (just kidding). I was surprised that 10 of my original 15 dreams had been accomplished. The list not surprisingly included the big trip. It included a lot of other goals, which I would have never believed to be satisfied so quickly after writing them down.

After having successfully accomplished some of my most desired life plans, I am beginning to notice a pattern of how my dreams come to be lived. Its actually not that new of an idea. I had envisioned in my mind’s eye the thing that I desired. I had described it in writing. I talked about it with people that I wanted to be part of it. Some goals that I have accomplished are personal and don’t directly involve anyone else. Therefore, not all dreams have to be discussed. Talking about what I want with my loved ones really seems to help me gain clarity.

When I describe my thoughts to other people I am required to bring an abstract concept into a coherent and detailed plan. Conversation is a great tool that really helps with the way that I translate ideas into action items. Once I am clear on what I want, I think about it. The vivid picture which my action plan mentally illustrates gives me a lot of momentum. When I have these mental pictures of my goals I feel that life is purposeful. I know what I want and I know what I need to accomplish it.

Maybe these concepts seem overstated and overemphasized by the self-help genre, but I can’t seem to overuse this envisioning technique. It gave me a lot of reasons to push myself to leave my comfort zone and go to work for an investor and it equally motivates me to be a patient father. I see myself as a very kind and attentive father. I see it in my mind’s eye and when I am faced with situations where I am tempted to blow my lid, I often remember my goal. This is not always effective; after all I often lose my patience with my little ones. Despite its drawbacks, I rely on it heavily and have found that reaching my goals requires envisioning what I want before taking action.

Thanks to my vivid imagination, my dreams of South American travel became a reality. The positive consequences are much greater than just the satisfaction of my goal. The process of working towards my goal changed my life in a lot of ways. I finally found that all my biggest goals in life were possible. I learned that by concentrating on what I want things begin to come together to accommodate my focus. This is at least partly explained by the way I go about developing serious goals. I often talk with friends about my life objectives and new ideas that I want to add to my list. This discussion not only helps me to clarify my thoughts, it also informs other people what I am looking for. Not only am I more aware of opportunities that facilitate my objectives my friends are also.

Thanks to dreaming big and committing to satisfy my dreams, I have challenged myself to take risk and push myself harder than I would otherwise. I consider this process a growth spurt. The cool thing about it is that the more dreams I come up with the more motivation I conjure within myself to take risk and leave my comfort zone. Which ultimately encourages development. I wouldn’t trade my trip to Machu Picchu nor my life lessons from getting there for anything.