Our lives are beautiful in their difference. We think different thoughts, we love different stuff, we feel different sensations, we expect different things to happen, we spend our time very different from each other and we have different goals in life. However, there is at least one flaw most of us have.

Its name is the Fear of Unknown.

Do you remember your childhood? I do. I wanted to be a diver till I read in a book that this is quite dangerous. I wanted to be a star-gazer till I read in a book that this job is not really profitable. I wanted to be a chemist till I read in a book that it consists of complex equations and requires a lot of hard work.

I became a mobile developer and you might think that I stopped reading books years before in order for that to happen. To be honest, I just stopped to fear things I didn’t try yet. And here I am: trying to make your path to the dream shorter and easier by sharing my experience on climbing a mountain with a blindfold and equipment from a second-hand store.

Let’s start with the easiest question in the world. Do you have the Dream? Something that makes your heart beat faster and accelerates your breathing? Of course you do!

But there is a chance you’ve mistaken the dream with a simple milestone. There is a chance you are looking at Saint Elmo’s light in a morning fog and think this is a lighthouse of your dreams.

So how do you want to be named in history books? Do you want to cure cancer, or maybe to set up a city on Mars? Of course you don’t!

We, humans, are pretty simple in our desires. We want to feel loved and healthy, we want to have fun and to outshine our competitors, so there is nothing wrong with you if your dreams consist of beautiful girls, tasty food and a Rolls Royce.

You might ask, why is it so dangerous to mistake a milestone with the Dream. Good question! You see, there is no point in planning your journey after arriving to the destination. Moses for sure wasn’t going to visit Alaska after forty years of wandering in the desert on his way to Israel. Bilbo Baggins was very happy to come back home and to live his life with a smoking pipe in front of a fireplace. When you name something as a final point of your road, you stop thinking about the next stops on your way and as soon as you reach this point and realise that there is still enough time, opportunities and interesting places, you spend too much effort to brace yourself and keep going.

Do you remember Ulysses, a smart ancient guy whose only dream was to come home? Be like him and never lose your heart.

That’s good to be able to distinguish a milestone from the dream, though it’s better to understand all those pitfalls on the way to the dream and be ready.

The Fear of Unknown ¶

Probably, the most important. We don’t know what is hidden in the fog of the Future. We are almost always afraid. Stop it.

Lack of support ¶

You are not alone in this world. Sure, you might think that on your way to the dream everyone else will be a ballast, that he or she will pull you to the bottom. Actually, they are not. If you’ve found a right person, a someone, who understands and shares your values, you might walk this really hard path to the dream in a nice company.

Lack of self-confidence ¶

Some of these problems are inside your head. Don’t think if you really have the power and the strength to do what you are dreaming of. Just do it. You will get required skills on your way, trust me.

Love of comfort ¶

Often we just want to lay in bed, but oh god your bed will be way more comfortable if you start moving to the goal.

Hope for an easier way ¶

In my childhood I was reading Harry Potter and wondering why so many challenges were completed in such a difficult way. No doubt I’ve seen paths easier and faster. Let me tell you a secret: there is always an easier way, but you always don’t have time, money or both to wait while someone will show you this route. Don’t look for workarounds!

Believe in Deus ex machina ¶

A “god from the machine” was used in ancient theatres to suddenly and abruptly resolve a seemingly unsolvable problem by the inspired and unexpected intervention of something new. But we are not in a theatre. Please, do not wait that all your problems will be accidentally solved by someone else. Now only you in charge.

So yeah, here we are. Now you know the difference between the Dream and a dream, as well as the most common obstacles on your route. Let me share with you some life hacks aimed to make your path easier.

The Ultimate Guide on Reaching the Dream ¶

Divide it into parts:
Setting a goal isn’t about the goal itself; it’s about the structure you create to help yourself succeed, so celebrate small wins on your long road.

Write a plan:
No matter how much you want to meet your goal, you can’t predict whether all the uncontrollable factors will be on your side, so just write a plan and stick to it.

Motivate yourself:
No matter how much you want your dream to come true, sometimes you will lose your faith. Remind yourself constantly why you are doing all of this. For example, near my bed I have a plenty of photos from my travels pinned to the wall and I always remember how wonderful are my journeys all over the world.

Let someone motivate you:
Did you notice how professional cyclists behave during a long competition? They stick closer to the most strong one, and use the airflow he or she produces to reduce their effort. Do the same!

That’s it. You are ready for the most exciting journey of your life, packed with the most efficient life hacks and confident in yourself. What’s next?

Don’t set up a camp ¶

When you will find yourself at the top, don't set up a camp! There is something you should do after that, as it is too early to sit back.

Help your friends ¶

Share these advice with someone in need as I shared them with you. Do you have a friend who wants to lose some weight but don’t know where to start? Share the article! Do you know a girl who wants to go for a Master’s degree in a foreign country but keep doubting? Share the article! Do you know a man who wants to open his own company but still reading motivational quotes in the Internet? Share the article!

And please, remember, often something goes wrong and you want to come back home, hug your parents, wash your clothes, gain more energy and start from scratch. But you cannot start from the beginning if you are no more a beginner. There is nothing more destructive and useless than avoiding your previous experience. Never consider the opportunity to come back.

This is the mountain. You are close to the middle. Let’s make it to the top.

Are you still waiting for a sign? Maybe for a dream, where I will tell you an exact location of a treasure? Forget about that, press the 💚 and close this tab, I did everything I could.

• The title is related to a collocation, named after a popular puzzle called Square One (very similar to Rubiks cubes).