Imagine finally having everything you have dreamt of, but no one to celebrate your wins with. Or imagine achieving your desires, but when they are finally within your grasp, you feel no joy.

For instance, having a book published under your name at the age of 70, but with no friends around to read it. Or finally having enough wealth to go on your dream vacation, but with no one to accompany you or not being healthy enough to undertake a journey. These are not just “worst-case scenarios”, but things that could happen if you live without a plan. Without realistic deadlines, your biggest wins might feel empty.

Achieving your dreams is perhaps a lifelong goal, but I believe it feels more fulfilling when achieved at the right time.

Everything has its own timing and a phase it is meant for. Achieving something before the “right” moment may not bring the happy tears you may experience once you achieve it when it is truly meant to happen. And definitely, achieving something far too long after you were supposed to can make it lose its worth.

What is the secret to achieving your dreams at the perfect moment? It all comes down to how you use your time today

Think about it: getting a smartphone in kindergarten would not be much fun, but getting one when you are a young adult and can connect with friends makes it special. That is the right timing.

Since you cannot always predict perfect timings of anything, the best thing you can do is utilise the present. Invest your “now” in doing something productive, invest your time and energy, and sometimes even money, into something that may benefit you in the future.

Each step you take at this point in life should be guided by a plan and an ideology that serves “your” future self — the self you should be proud to face, with your shoulders straight and a big smile, whispering, “I knew I would do it.”

For this purpose, set deadlines and create a realistic goal chart. By doing so, you give your brain a target to achieve. This makes it easier to focus on a task rather than on random actions you suddenly decide to pursue without a proper plan.

If you really want to get started on becoming organised and planning your goals beforehand, I highly recommend seeking out resources that provide a structured framework. For instance, Time to Write, a brilliantly written book by Kelly L Stone, talks about motivation and presents readers with a number of action plans they can implement in daily life in order to achieve their goals. Though the central idea revolves around writing, you can still use the plans mentioned, such as long-term and short-term quota goals, for various other tasks and ambitions you wish to achieve.

Another masterpiece is Atomic Habits by James Clear, a goldmine for anyone wanting to break the toxic barrier of procrastination and achieve their goals. The book clearly discusses overcoming procrastination by explaining the “Two-minute rule.”

Reading these books can bring a significant change to your life and help you achieve the goals you deserve and the future you wish to build.

Remember, it is always the first step that matters; the rest will surely find its way to you. Hard work and determination are the core ideas. This may all sound intimidating, but hard work and sacrifice “now” are the only pathways to a future where your goals are achieved, rather than looking back and saying “I wish I had…”

Published in Dawn, Young World, May 30th, 2026