Dreams, Not Goals People often confuse goals with dreams. Understanding the difference is a crucial part of the performance process. The difference between a goal and a dream is that a goal is very specific and is usually something external to a person. A dream is a way of life. A dream is a philosophy.
Goals are important, but dreams are more fun and more useful if actively pursued.
For an athlete, the dream is a framework for the life that comes with pursuing a goal. My dream is about playing to win as often as possible with and against the best women basketball players in the world. Winning the gold medal as a goal gives me some direction, but my dream is something I need to live everyday. And I'm doing that each time I play to win. Preparation Once performers accept their dreams or missions, the next step is to prepare to live the dream.