1. It won’t look like how it looks in your imagination.
If you have, for example, always dreamt about visiting the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa, you might expect to be standing in awe in front of a majestic painting. Instead it looks like this (see number 3).
Whether you’re writing a book, starting your own business, running a marathon, the reality won’t be as romantic as you had imagined. Instead of words flowing onto a handwritten page, an inbox overflowing with orders, an effortless dash to the finish line, you might find writer’s block, an inbox with only junk mail coming in even if you have been pressing refresh every 10 minutes and the inability to breathe after only five kilometers.
But then again, like the Mona Lisa example, you might decide to amble out of the Louvre and head towards the smaller and more charming Musee d’Orsay and relish in the visual splendor of the masters without being surrounded by hordes of tourists.
It might not look like the way you imagined but your reality ends up being a pleasant surprise anyway.
2. Patience is not only necessary, it’s essential.
I put this quote up on Instagram early this week.
Before the dream can happen, you have to be a beginner. Starting new things is always exciting. But it can also be humbling…and hard…and overwhelming.
Patience, an unwavering belief in yourself and your dream and the trust that the actions you’re taking today will pay off tomorrow are essential to pursuing your dream.
3. It’s all about the journey.
Last Sunday, I cooked for the first time in more than 15 years. While sautéing bacon bits for my ultra-simple carbonara, I could feel boredom creeping in.
But when I shifted my attention to enjoying the present (thank you, meditation!), I noticed how delicious the bacon smelled as it sizzled. I saw how they changed colors from a pale pink to a dark (but not burnt) brown. The pot of pasta was boiling beside me and the noodles were being cooked to al dente perfection.
Maybe because of that attention, my simple carbonara turned out delicious—the egg yolk-and-cheese mix unscrambled, the bacon crisp, the pasta firm.
Pay attention to the journey of following your dream. There’s magic in the slow times as there is in the busy. There’s joy to be had when you pay attention to your life. There’s perfection in just showing up and noticing.
4. There will be boring middle parts…
…and tech breakdowns, annoying clients, social media followers who unfollow, ads that don’t pay off, delayed planes, injuries that recur, words that want to remain stuck.
How to get through all that: Remember why you’re pursuing this dream in the first place. And know why this is the path you’d rather take out of all the others that are open for you.
5. The dream can change.
And you are allowed to alter it whenever you want. You have power over your choices. You can course-correct. If the reality of following your dream isn’t what you want anymore, know that you can always change your mind. There are other opportunities that you might want to say yes to.
How can you tell what path to follow? Listen to your intuition. Let your inner voice be your guide in determining the right decisions for you.
6. Following your dream doesn’t guarantee success.
But as Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the books Big Magic and Eat Pray Love, has written, “Do what you love to do, and do it with both seriousness and lightness. At least then you will know that you have tried and that—whatever the outcome—you have traveled a noble path.”
If there’s a dream that you really, really, really want to make happen, I would love to support you in making it a reality. You will take courageous action and I will provide you with the accountability you need to move forward. Click here to start our coaching relationship.
