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Dream or goal? There’s a difference

  • Published
  • By Maj. David Huinker
  • 375th Medical Support Squadron
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  At one point and time in our lives we probably were asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" My answer was a baseball player. I used to love watching #34 of the Minnesota Twins, center fielder, Kirby Puckett, and "dream" about how I wanted to be just like him. Unfortunately I am not the professional baseball player that I used to dream about becoming. That is because it was just that - a dream not a goal. Without a date marked on a calendar and a plan written down, a dream will be nothing more than just a dream that never gets accomplished.

Another question that we are often asked is, "what do you hope to achieve in the Air Force?" I wanted to be the best Airman that I could be, become an officer, and if that were to happen, I would celebrate by getting married. Best Airman I could be - check. Become an officer - check. Marry my best friend - well, committing to love another "'till death do us part" is a blessing that far surpasses the other objectives, but yes--check to that goal, too. So how did I turn those dreams into reality? I changed those dreams into goals.

In order to be the best Airman I could be, I made sure to set dates for my goals: Airman of the quarter, Airman of the year, ... With the dates marked, I had to make a plan. In order to become Airman of the year, I had to become Airman of the quarter. In order to become Airman of the quarter I had to make sure I was well rounded. I worked the Deployment Control Center, filled sand bags in preparation for impending hurricanes, volunteered for the Langley Air Force Base Honor Guard, spent time with veterans at the local VA hospital and provided assistance to the local Kiwanis club.

In order to be an officer, I had a date of when I wanted to be commissioned. My plan, apply for the LEAD program and complete the Air Force Academy. In order to apply for the Academy, I had to complete an application package: AF Form 1786, Application for Appointment to USAFA, take the Candidate Fitness Assessment, extensive medical evaluation, interview with an Admissions Liaisons Officer, write an essay, and take the SAT or ACT. All of this had to be completed by Jan. 31 of the year I wanted to enroll. Once I was a cadet, I had four years to successfully complete all the rigors of the Academy: academics, military, athletics and character, in order to become a commissioned officer.

Even though I have been blessed to achieve my goals, I would not have been successful if I hadn't changed my dreams to goals, with dates and a plan. So I challenge you, in anything that you want to accomplish, make it a goal. Whether you want to score better on your PT test, lose some weight, wipe out debt, or become an officer, set a date and write down your plan. Once you have that date and plan in place, you'll be off to a great start to achieving your dreams.