Dream Big and Make Small Changes
Today I’m linking up with my friend Andrea at DreAm heART sMart ArT for her blog challenge. The prompt is “DREAMS”.
I’m all about dreaming big: lavish vacations, gorgeous clothes, the perfect job, a healthy and strong body…
That’s what life’s about, right?
We should always be dreaming about living a better life, enjoying time with our loved ones, and having fun!
Big goals are super important for having direction in your life. You need to know where you’re going if you ever want to get there.
But have you ever had a dream that never came true? Um, maybe that’s a silly question. Of course, you’ve had a dream that never materialized—we all have!
Did you think about why that is? Why do we never realize some of our most precious dreams?
Sometimes we give up too soon, or we wait too long, or we have no plan.
Whatever the reason, we should take the time to reflect on our lost dreams and perhaps devise a way to reach them.
Reconnect With Your Lost Dreams
First, think about a dream you had that didn’t work out. Maybe you never started your own business. Maybe you never reconnected with a loved one before her death. Maybe you never had a baby.
Next, consider the dream honestly and objectively. Is there a way for you to achieve this dream now or in the future?
For instance, you could certainly start a business in the future. But you cannot reconnect with someone who has passed away (at least, not in a physical way on Earth). And if your dream was to have a baby, you still might be able to do so, but maybe not in the way you had envisioned.
Now, figure out whether you need to say goodbye to a lost dream and get closure, or make a plan to reach your goal in the future.
Saying Goodbye to Dreams
If your dream is truly never going to happen (for example, someone has died), give yourself time to mourn the loss of this dream. Perhaps you can be creative a find a way to honor the dream in a new way.
Let’s say your dream was to have your late father walk you down the aisle on your wedding day. Is there another way to honor that dream?
You could walk down the aisle holding his picture, play his favorite song at the reception, or wear a piece of jewelry he gave you. It won’t be your perfect dream, but it could still give your dream closure.
Here’s another example: let’s say you wanted to be Miss America, but now you’re 20 years too old, 30 pounds too heavy, and married. OK, so your dream of strutting across the stage wearing a sash and tiara is gone, but you can be creative and find a way to honor and let go of this dream.
You could put on a sparkly dress, have your kids ask you interview questions, and have your husband crown you Mrs. Supermom. You might not be on TV, but your current life ain’t too shabby.
Small Changes Lead to Big Dreams
If your dream is still a possibility (even a remote possibility), you need to come up with a game plan. And the last thing you want to do is dive in head first without knowing what you’re doing.
So where do you start? Write a 1-sentence description of the dream you want to achieve. Make sure it’s written as a SMART goal (specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, time-limited).
Then, write out all the steps leading up to that goal. If you want to open your own jewelry shop, you’ll have to research location (local or online), perhaps apply for a loan, buy supplies, make the inventory, create a website, hire employees, get a merchant account, and so on.
Next, break down each of those steps into 2 or 3 mini steps. If you need to create a website, you’ll first have to buy a domain name, get web hosting, and setup a company email address.
Now that your dream is broken down into many mini steps, you can make small changes that will lead you to your dream without getting overwhelmed. You might not be ready to plop down thousands of dollars for real estate, but you could start off by brainstorming some names for your business.
For more help breaking down your steps into daily tasks, download my free printable worksheet, the Ultimate To-Do List.
We all should have big (gigantic! humungous!) dreams, and starting small is a great way to make those dreams a reality.
Have you achieved one of your dreams? How did you make it doable?
Did you ever have to say goodbye to a dream?
In the comments below, let me know your tips for dreaming big.
Click here to link up with DreAm heART sMart ArT!
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What sage advice, Sage. Smart lessons. Every time I come here, I learn something new.
Aw thanks, Ally! 🙂
Mrs. SuperMom, I love that idea (and maybe it would prevent some of the stage moms from forcing their daughters to participate in beauty pageants!) Dreams can be intimidating, sometimes it’s easy to take the easy road but you’re an inspiration in that you followed your dream of becoming an entrepreneur (PS I love the green & pink colour combo in the pic!)
Thanks, Emily! I’m glad you like my outfit (I’m definitely a pink girl). Those pageant moms are so weird sometimes, but I can’t stop watching them. I’ll admit it–I’m a huge Honey Boo Boo fan. 🙂
reconnect with your lost dreams
i liked that a lot! sometimes we forget about our goals and that’s why we need to revive them every now and then
thank you : )
I love the ideaof ceremony of giving up on dreams. I sign must be very helpful. I remember how I burned down the bandanna my best friend gave after I realized I’ve not spot in his new life. There were also dreams of having my own business with my friend as partner. Silly but giving up on dream on running business together I’ve never came to my business dream again. I bet I won’t probably ever come back
Thanks, Lyosha! I think it’s important to say goodbye to dreams even if it’s painful. If we don’t, we’ll keep reliving the disappointment over and over again.
Sage, that's a wonderful post! Dreams are so important, and you make it very clear how to make one real.
Here's the link to my blog post in Andrea's Challenge: http://moebius-coaching.com/wp/i-have-a-dream/.
Cheers, Frauke
Hi Sage, I like your tips on letting go of old dreams. Taking tiny steps towards big dreams is a lovely thing to do. Like entering Andrea’s little Blog Challenge “Dream” which has me now meeting sweet people like you. Here’s a link to my entry “Shh, she dreams” http://suzipoland.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/shedreams.html :)Suzi
Thanks for commenting, Suzi! I really like your drawing on your Dream blog post.
Hi Sage, I like your little steps to big dreams, so true, just a little bit everyday. It has been nice to enter Andrea’s little challenge “Dream” and meet people like you. Here’s a link to my little entry http://suzipoland.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/shedreams.html :)Suzi
Hello Sage, this is a lovely post! Thank you for beeing part in my blogchallenge. As a Dreamcoach I help exactly what you wrote about:
I help people to find their dreams, to connect with them and then: We take action!
A lot of people get overwhelmed when it comes to the last step. But as we both now:
It needs to take action! I hope you join me for the next challenge! Love from Switzerland, Andrea
Hi Andrea! Absolutely. Taking action is the most important step. I can’t wait to see you next month! 🙂
I’m a bit of a dreamer and I tend to have pretty big dreams. I think the main reason that I don’t achieve these dreams, at least up to now, is because I believe that I need to take big actions to achieve big goals. You’ve helped me to see that this isn’t true at all! I’m definitely going to try and break down the first steps to achieving my dreams and make them into smaller, attainable goals. Great advice, thanks Sage!
It’s easy to get caught up in the big steps. Sometimes I have to break them down into itty bitty microscopic steps just so I get off my butt and do something!