The sweetest tune from Cinderella, or as I like to call it Cinderell-y (thank you Jaq & Gus Gus) always gets stuck in my head.
I had a lot of dreams growing up... I still do. At first I dreamt that I'd grow up to be a "Mcdonald's Worker." Ah, serving fries, milkshakes, and nuggets was the dream job of 5-year-old V. Then I dreamt I'd be a dental hygienist and clean teeth all day. Honestly, I'm still not opposed to that. But, those dreams never came true, and that's honestly fine by me!
They never came true because they never became a goal.
Yes, I believe there is a difference between dreams and goals, but I never understood it until recently.
I read online that dreams, of course, are ideas, wishes that stay in your mind. Goals, on the other hand, are tangible, they require action.
Do dreams turn into goals? Certainly they do! I think they turn into goals more often than not. But, I also think we should allow ourselves to let dreams stay dreams, at least for the time being. I certainly don't think every dream must turn into a goal. At the same time, if we desperately want a dream to come true, then it must turn into a goal.
Is that making any sense?
Why am I talking about this?
Well, I've mentioned on my blog before that my dreams look a lot different than they did 3 years go. Specifically, I said that I've been mourning a dream...a dream that changed and ultimately has yet to turn itself into a goal. The big A word...acting. The past year I was allowing myself to get really, really down on myself...filling myself with the negativity that "I'm not chasing my dream hard enough" or "I've never been good enough for this dream to work out anyway..."
Such b.s. L I E S. This has eaten me up but the reality is, that dream hasn't been a goal of mine for some time now. And that's OKAY.
We can't give up on dreams...we give up on goals.
I haven't given up on my old or new dreams. Just because I stopped setting my acting dream as a goal for a period in my life doesn't mean I gave up on it or failed. Right now, it's still just a dream and other goals have entered the picture instead. I can turn that dream right back into a goal any time I choose. But for now, I'm focusing on the goals that are currently near & dear to my heart's desires. I'm also trying to establish a healthy relationship with my mcdonalds-hygienist-actress dreams instead of punishing myself for letting them stay dreams for now.
Realizing all of this has lessened my anxiety of it all, honestly. Knowing that it is okay if all of my dreams, big or small, stay tucked away-- whether it's forever or for the next 6 months-- has brought me a little peace. Knowing that I have control over whether or not I turn a dream into a goal & then work to reach that goal makes me feel a lot less terrible about my dreams & goals changing as my life moves forward.
So that's just it. If you have a dream that your heart makes & you want it to desperately come true, turn that baby into a GOAL and get cracking' at it! Work for it, set timelines for yourself and get to it. But, if you have a dream that you just don't see yourself tangibly pursuing at the moment, take a breather and don't punish yourself for it. No one is forcing you turn it into a goal and take action. You have nothing to prove, not to yourself or to anyone for that matter. Your dreams are still beautiful whether they live in the depths of your heart or out in the real world.
Take some time and write down your dreams & goals this week. Maybe they're the same, maybe not. Then give yourself a little love for thinking up such wild & beautiful things.
Thanks Viva, I do well with homework and will be journaling my goals and dreams, while driving, (riding) long hours to Michigan! You are a true inspiration! X0
This is very nice what you wrote I always think that dreams are like warnings. That it may come true somewhere in the future. You never know but you can always wish.