As a child I had boundless energy and a big imagination. Dreaming came easy. Growing up on a dairy farm out in the country, my sister and I spent a lot of time playing outdoors. She and I spent hours playing in the tree-house my Dad built us in our front yard. We pretended we lived there, that is, until Mom called us in for dinner.
Rainy days did’t get us down as we would hide out in the haymow of our barn. It was the perfect place to make forts and find the occasional batch of kittens. We made up all sorts of adventures! We dreamed what we wanted to be when we grew up.
On warm blue-sky days, I remember laying with her in the backyard looking up at a sky with fluffy, white clouds and imagining the different types of animals that we saw. “Look, I see a lion.” I would say to my sister. “Where is it?” she would respond, and would try to follow my finger to see what I had imagined in the puffs.
Then as I grew up and the responsibilities that come with adulthood took over, dreams got crowded out by all the to-do’s and have to’s; my work responsibilities, providing for my family, being a good spouse, and a good parent. The list goes on…
Though I allowed “life” to get in the way of my dreaming for a while, I have been intentional about putting it back. It is such an important concept that it becomes a focus topic in one of my recent leadership retreats. An amazing group of leaders I am privileged to coach took time out to Dream Big – to learn how to go after big dreams related to their passion, purpose, relationships, and legacy.
It is important to dream. Dreams motivate and inspire you. Dreams help you to visualize where you want to go. They help you achieve your goals.
Here are 3 Powerful Steps to Dream Big:
- Schedule the time and space to dream. Block an appointment with yourself in your calendar to think and dream. Or, schedule an afternoon with your spouse or a friend to spark your imagination and dream together.
- Create a Dream Map. With a blank sheet of paper, begin writing down a list of your dreams. Ask yourself the questions, “What does my best life look like?” “What am I passionate about?” “What would I love to do, to be, to contribute?”
- Make your dream a reality. Pick one dream that you would like to pursue, and boldly envision it. See it in your mind as something you can accomplish. Then create an action plan, and take the first step.
I encourage you to take time to dream. Each of you has unique and special dreams with potential to create great impact on your family, your business, and the world around you.
You have an important calling and it is up to you to discover what that is. There is a special dream inside you that is just waiting to be awakened!
“Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
If you want to take the next step and make those dreams a reality check out my podcast E14 How to Get Started On the Most Important Thing.