Don't Forget to Dream
The most important thing in life is audacity. - Elizabeth Gilbert
This blog post is all about dreaming big and pursuing your ambitions. It's not a secret that the world demands more and more of you, especially now that education has become an increasingly competitive process. But if you constantly fail to dream, how will you accomplish anything? If things are not going as well for you as they should be, remember that it's never too late to change course and go after your dreams! Now let's get into the nitty-gritty of this article: here are some practical tips on how to get started with dreams.
1. Keep a dreambook
If you want to remember your dreams, and especially if you want to use them as the inspiration for your work or other projects, it's very important that you keep a dream journal. However, the problem is that if over the years you find yourself writing down dreams every day, it can become a routine. When this happens it becomes harder and harder to remember your dreams after waking up. And when there are no new dreams to write about in the dream journal, sooner or later you'll stop writing altogether.
So the number one rule is: don't be strict with yourself. Just remember to write down the most important parts of your dreams, and don't feel bad if you forget in the mornings. Also, it helps if you're keeping a dream journal in a special notebook or folder that is only for this purpose. Adding just one more thing to do every morning can make all the difference, especially if this is something that you really enjoy doing!
If you want to learn more about dream journaling, there's a very inspiring TED talk by Kelly Bulkeley about "Why we dream" It's certainly worth checking out.
2. Put yourself in the right mindset.
Say, for example, that you want to write a book and you decide to start working on it. Working on the book will probably take up most of your time and energy for a while. But what do you do when there are no dreams to write about? Sometimes, this is where the problem lies. You need to switch your mindset into something more productive: work on one dream, not 100. This way, when it comes time (and it always does), you'll have plenty of ideas floating around in your head.
3. Make a list.
If you've never tried it before, making a list of your dreams can be an incredibly useful way to get some insight into yourself. You'll be surprised by how many things you come up with on your own, but even more surprising might be how many dreams you don't remember ever having. If you're not sure what you want to work on this year or next year, start a spreadsheet and write down all the things that interest or inspire you. Make notes about those dreams and see which ones are worth pursuing. It's also important to identify the things that are preventing you from following through on your dreams.
4. Make your dreams public.
Not all success stories start with a dream of fame and money. Some of the most interesting ones start simply as small projects that end up becoming bigger than anyone could have imagined. But if you don't tell people about those projects, they will never come to fruition! Make people interested in your work and give them a reason to notice what you're doing. This is one of the best ways to get yourself going when you feel like giving up. Here's an excellent example: YouTuber Jonathan Mann.
5. Respect your creative limitations.
If you really want to pursue your passion, it's important not to let other things get in the way. You'll have to accept that certain things just aren't going to happen: even if you're absolutely crazy about something, it might not be possible in your head. This is perfectly okay (as long as you still want to pursue your dream). There are many amazing examples of this throughout history, and the best one is Albert Einstein.
Einstein once wrote that he couldn't imagine a continuous field existing in four-dimensional space-time.
with all its beauty, symmetry and probability. But he didn't let this stop him from pursuing his passion for general relativity, which was based on his four-dimensional model of spacetime.
In this way, Einstein followed his own definition of success: "Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning how to get along with people, and sacrifice"
6. Be brutal.
Remember that dreams are fragile things. If you can't make progress quickly enough on your dream, you need to let it go—and stop wasting your time and energy on it. This is a very difficult thing to do if you're working on something important to you, but it's a necessary step if you want to accomplish real goals. If you want to make real progress this year, you need to set a clear goal for yourself and pursue it wholeheartedly. It's not possible to do everything at once, so don't try.
7. Write down your dreams.
This is an old advice that will work in any situation. By writing your dreams down, you're making the first step towards their realization! Don't be afraid of sharing your ideas with other people—let them inspire and motivate you. Be sure to thank those who you have learned something from, and give credit where it's due.
8. Be creative!.
In the words of my favorite mathematician and physicist, Richard Feynman, "The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool" (6). If you want to experience real success that will last for a long time, then you need to be honest with yourself about what motivates you and what stops you from following your dreams. When it comes to dreams, there really is only one rule: don't put conditions on your work! The only one who can stop you from accomplishing your dreams is yourself.
9. Don't be afraid to fail.
If you fail, it just means that there is another way to reach your goal. And the only person who can stop you from succeeding is yourself! When you don't know how to get started, there's no need to worry. Just do what comes naturally—and carefully watch what's going on around you and make your own mistakes along the way. As Feynman says: "It doesn't matter whether they're right or wrong; that doesn't matter at all—what matters is that they are interesting"
Conclusion: Set your work in motion!
There is no point in doing anything unless you enjoy it—unless you're passionate about it. If you aren't passionate about your work, then there's no reason to spend your time and energy on it. It doesn't matter what others think or say, only that you're enjoying yourself. As Feynman once said"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool"
Passionate work will give your life meaning, even if all this work seems pointless to others.