It’s one thing to have a dream. It’s another to do the things needed to achieve it. Every dream, including your dream of publication, comes at a cost. That cost will be different for every dream and every dreamer, but there are some common realities to all of them, perhaps the most important being that it is possible to pay too much for your dream.

To avoid paying too much, you must first identify what your dream is worth and measure the likely costs of achieving it.

So, what is your dream worth? Unfortunately, only you can determine the answer to that question. And you must answer that question before you can answer the bigger cost question of “Are you willing to pay the price for your dream?” To help you evaluate the value of your dream, let’s explore how to measure the costs of pursuing a dream.

You need to count the costs.

If you have pursued similar dreams, if you have written articles or books, you may have an idea of the financial and time investments necessary for pursuing this dream, but if not, seek out someone with experience in your area of interest. Ask him/her to give you some information and advice about what it takes to achieve success in that field.

How much are you willing to pay for your dream?

Some types of costs most dreamers are not only willing, but eager, to pay – such as the price of hard work. When it comes to success, there are no escalators to ride. You must work hard (and smart) to achieve your goals.

Others may be more difficult, less eager, but still willingly spent – such as the price of overcoming your fears. All dreams are outside our comfort zone (or we would already have realized the dream). Leaving that zone is a price we must pay to achieve them.

Still others, may be more difficult of a sacrifice to make – such as time with family and friends or dealing with criticism from people who matter.

What are you NOT willing to pay?

As you evaluate the cost of your dream, you need to set limits on what you will spend in each category. At what point are you NOT willing to pay more for the dream to become a reality?

Some prices are too high. If the cost requires you to sacrifice what is most important to you – your values, your family, your integrity… it’s not worth it! Dream a new dream that will not cause you to compromise.

Remember, only you can determine the value of your dream and what you are willing to spend to achieve it, but preparing yourself with a realistic expectation of the costs and a decision to move forward incurring those costs to reach your goal is a strategy for successfully making your dream a reality.

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Eric Schmieder is the Membership Marketing Manager for TAA. He has taught computer technology concepts to curriculum, continuing education, and corporate training students since 2001. A lifelong learner, teacher, and textbook author, Eric seeks to use technology in ways that improve results in his daily processes and in the lives of those he serves. His latest textbook, Web, Database, and Programming: A foundational approach to data-driven application development using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, MySQL, and PHP, First Edition, is available now through Sentia Publishing.