Why You Should Dream Small

If you’re anything like me, when you think about achieving your dreams, you think BIG.

Many times, what I would call my “Dream” list looks something like this:

• Write a book!
• Get in the best shape of my life!
• Complete a graduate program!
• Launch a business!
• Plan an overseas getaway!
• Celebrate my 25th wedding anniversary and have a marriage that’s worth celebrating!
• Build a dream home on some acreage!

How about you? What does your “Dream” list look like?

I mean, I love my list. These are things I care about and dream about often.

Day to day reality looks a bit different, however.

A few months ago, I found myself at the end of my rope physically, mentally, and emotionally.

With mornings devoted to getting my kids ready for their school days, several large projects with looming deadlines at my 9-5, multiple commitments on our social calendars, and finding time to do things like, you know, take a shower and such, I was pretty much depleted.

Have you ever felt that way?

For several weeks on end, I would find myself at the end of a long day, clocking out at work, heading to my kitchen, and staring into my pantry…

And staring into my pantry…

And staring into my pantry…

Goodness, dinner comes around a lot doesn’t it?

The last thing I wanted to do to kick off my evening of “rest” was figure out what to make for dinner.

After several weeks of this routine, I finally said something along the lines of, “Forget launching businesses and writing books and lifting weights. I don’t even care anymore; all I’m dreaming about at this point is knowing what I’m making for dinner at the end of a long day and having the ingredients in the house to make it!”

Truly, that sounded like a straight fairy tale life.

But surprisingly, it actually did turn out to be something like magic.

You probably know why.

Because I could actually do it.

I could in fact sit down and think of meals I liked to make.

I also knew what ingredients I needed to make those meals.

And once I sat down and started scribbling my list, I found that it only took about 15 minutes.

In addition to that, my grocery shopping took less time because I knew exactly what I was putting in my cart. Not to mention my grocery bill was a little less because I wasn’t buying as many “filler” items or impulse purchases.

But the biggest win of all was that 15 minutes of pre-planning led to an entire week of deeply restful evenings where I found myself enjoying both the cooking and the eating of meals that were nourishing and tasty.

Here’s what really happened:

I got to SAVE all the mental and emotional energy I had previously wrapped up in my dinnertime angst.

At the same time, I was also REAPING additional emotional energy due to the added benefit of confidence that came from showing up prepared and ready.

I wasn’t behind anymore (at least in this area). I was on it.

I had taken ownership and action of that small piece of my life.

And guess what happened after that?

I got to roll my newfound dinnertime confidence into other things I dreamed of doing.

Because I had created a space to actually rest and I wasn’t tired all the time, I found that I actually did have energy to add daily walks back into my day. Those walks reaped even more benefits of getting moving, getting sunlight, and again, feeling like I accomplished what I had intended to accomplish all along.

Multiply all that by several weeks and months, and I was thinking entirely new things about what was possible!

So what does all this mean?

Dream small dreams.

Don’t dream about writing a book – dream about writing that first paragraph.

Instead of dreaming about getting in the best shape of your life – dream about taking a walk around your neighborhood this week.

Before you know it, you’ll be a woman holding up a handful of achieved dreams and thinking that, yeah, I can do this.

And you CAN.

Take those large dreams.

Break them into small dreams.

Take action today.

And don’t forget to celebrate every win.

I’ll be cheering you on!

What could you act on today that could free up emotional energy for your big dreams?