As a child, did you have a dream for yourself?
Maybe it was a tiny spark. An inkling. A picture of who you might become someday. Maybe you wanted to be a teacher, a singer, an explorer, or a writer. Maybe it was less a job and more a feeling: the sense that your life would be full, joyful, and free.
That is the question I ask at the very beginning of my book, Envision Your Extraordinary Life: Living Happy, Joyous, and Free. And it’s where I’d like to begin with you this month, as we walk through Chapter 1 together.
When Did You Stop Dreaming?
For many of us, dreaming quietly slips away. It rarely happens all at once. We get busy raising families, building careers, caring for others, and getting through hard seasons. Grief, burnout, disappointment, and addiction can all set our dreams aside.
I have heard many recovering people say that with every drink, their dreams were set aside. That sentence has stayed with me for years, because it describes something so many of us experience in different ways. One day we look up and realize we stopped imagining a future for ourselves. We have been living by obligation rather than by vision.
The good news is that dreams can return. And the first step is simply giving yourself permission.
Why Vision Comes First
When I spent more than 30 years in visionary planning and leadership development, I learned something that applies to organizations and individuals alike: people need a reason to act and that is what motivation means. When the future is hazy, there is little reason to go forward and depression can set in.When the future is fuzzy, decisions take longer. Distractions look more attractive. Setbacks feel personal. Goals get abandoned too early.
But when the future is vivid, specific, and emotionally meaningful, something shifts. Our everyday choices start to organize around it. We say yes to what moves us forward and no to what doesn’t. A clear vision focuses our effort, boosts our motivation, and shapes the small decisions that add up to a life.
That’s why Chapter 1 of my book starts with vision before it ever gets to goals, plans, or strategies.
Is Your Dream Truly Yours?
Here is something important: not every goal comes from a real inner desire.
Some of our goals come from comparison. Some come from other people’s expectations. Some simply come from what sounds successful. We can work hard on those borrowed goals for a while, but they rarely sustain us.
A powerful vision is built from what feels deeply true to you. So instead of asking, “What should I want?” I invite you to ask:
- What do I want my life to feel like?
- Who is sitting at my table?
- What does an ordinary Tuesday look like in my next chapter?
- What am I grateful for when I wake up in the morning?
When your vision is authentic, discipline gets lighter. You stop pushing yourself toward something and start being drawn toward it.
You Are the Painter
I love to think of it this way: you are the painter creating your future. The world is your canvas, and your choices are more open than you may think.
You don’t need to have it all figured out. You don’t need a perfect plan. You only need to be willing to pick up the brush again.
When Kenneth was in middle school, he attended a retreat. At one point, he saw himself in Mexico, ministering to people. He knew that his future was contained in this vision. He studied Spanish and went to missionary school. He worked with local churches in Mexico City to identify the greatest needs and found that many young people were on the streets and homeless. He founded an orphanage for 100 children.
Try This Week
Take ten quiet minutes with a journal and answer these three questions:
- What was my childhood dream? See it in your mind, draw a picture, or write a couple of words about it.
- What dream have I set aside that may be ready to return?
- What is one feeling I want more of in my next chapter?
Don’t edit. Don’t judge. Just write what comes.
Keep Going
Over the next few weeks, I’ll share more tools from Chapter 1: how to use visualization to make your vision vivid, how to take an honest look at where you are today, and how to take your next faithful step.
If you’d like to go deeper, Envision Your Extraordinary Life and its companion workbook are available on Amazon Amazon book link | Amazon workbook link. And if you’re an accomplished woman ready to explore your next chapter with a supportive community, I’d love to tell you about the Visionary Women’s Mastermind. Learn more at envisionyourlife.coach/landing/.
What are you envisioning for the next chapter of your life?
Linda
Author | Founder, Envision Your Life Coaching
We’re thrilled to introduce our new Extraordinary Life Assessment, a quick, 5-minute check-up designed to pinpoint exactly where you stand on your journey from aspiration to achievement.
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