There’s a simple saying that rings true: eat a lot of peaches and soon you’ll become a peach.

We’ll refer to it as the peach advice.

I don’t have to describe just how disconcerting it can be to have the yearning to do something so bad, that it keeps you up at night. Then it starts to follow you during the day.  But despite the deep yearning, there are still so many things that stop you from chasing this goal: family, money, work, insecurity, etc.

At least that’s what we tell ourselves anyway–that these are our hindering blocks.

Yet if we were to really mull this over–this fascination with keeping our dreams on a pedestal to be gazed at from afar–our past experiences step up to show us that with every dream we’ve successfully pursued, we’ve done so because we took what we saw then as insignificant steps.

Eat a lot of peaches, and soon you’ll become a peach.

We started hanging out with entrepreneurs and soon, we were bitten by the entrepreneurial bug.

We started attending writing workshops and soon we were writing essays that  got published.

We started exercising daily and soon we were running marathons.

We started frequenting clothing outlets and fashion shows and soon, we were comfortable enough to own a boutique.

We started wearing makeup often and studying the art, and soon we were makeup artists.

We took pictures every chance we could get and soon we were professional photographers.

This is what the peach advice is all about: start doing something that will bring you closer to your dream, and before you know it, your dream will be off the pedestal and right by your side.

Natalie Goldberg gives the peach advice to aspiring authors when she states,

Read good books, ones that are well-written where the author cares, thinks, is willing to feel the aching texture of the world and of his own rough mind and you are at least a third of the way into the practice.

In my book I use the peach advice when I talk about the ‘start-up immersion:’

Before you launch your first product or service, immerse yourself in business education about your craft and your industry.

The reason this advice gets you a step closer to the dream that seemed impossible, is because it allows you to praise yourself.  With momentum, you begin to see small improvements and your mind subconsciously allows your body to keep moving forward.

The same thing happens when you see a house being built or re-modeled, the improvements keep your subconscious wheels turning. You try to do whatever you can to see the finish product.

So although the dream seems impossible, the path is simple:

• Respect your dream industry enough to start studying and appreciating it
• Become a student of your craft
• Hang with like-minded people
• Build momentum by taking small steps
• “Eat” your dream everyday so that you become your dream

Anything you’d like to add? I’d love to hear from you.