Dream Bigger
I think we all spend a lot of time daydreaming in January, don't we? It's totally natural when you're back at your desk, pulling long days for the first time in a while, to dream about what life *could* be like. Plus we're all busy setting goals and intentions for the year ahead, which gets us thinking about all the things we'd love to achieve. I'm no different - I've spent the last couple of weeks working up goals and making plans and figuring out what the hell I have to do to make myself proud. And this year, I've been dreaming bigger than ever, inspired by a book I read over Christmas.
The book was It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be by the world's top advertising guru, Paul Arden. It's a book I've read before, but for some reason it really resonated with me this time around and it's had a lasting impact on me. It's filled with loads of handy tips, but one sentiment in particular struck me, and that was about how so many of us are small with our dreams.
We've been told so many times to set realistic goals that we can focus on and work towards. We aim for the next rung on the career ladder or having a bit more disposable income to spend on ASOS. But when was the last time you sat down with a blank piece of paper and pictured what your actual dream life would look like? Not the life that is realistically within reach, but the life that would have you grinning like a cheshire cat all day everyday?
There's a page in the book that talks about how Victoria Beckham dreamed about being more famous than Persil Automatic. She wasn't aspiring to be the best singer or to earn more money than the girls at her school - she wanted to be more famous than an inconic household brand. And guess what? She did it. She's had an incredible career that has taken her from popstar to critically acclaimed fashion designer, and she has created a brand that is way more famous than any laundry detergent.
I daresay having the balls to dream bigger than everyone around her has massively helped VB navigate such a successful career path. And it got me thinking about how I need to be bolder with my own dreams. To be brave enough to aim for the stuff that would set my soul on fire, rather than just plodding along the safest route. Because who really knows what's "realistic" or "attainable"? There are totally normal gals and guys like myself smashing through new barriers every freakin' day. Why shouldn't I be one of them?
So, along with the predictable, natural next step goals that I always set myself, this year I've put some pretty big dreams on the list too. They're whacky and out there and some of them are on a totally different path to the one I'm on at the moment, but hey - there's nothing wrong with a girl dreaming, right?!
Try it. Let yourself dream like you did when you were a kid, with no boundaries or worries. Dream bigger - anything could happen.