“Um, did you leave the faucet running in the bathroom?” my husband came into the bedroom with a funny look on his face.
I looked up from the half-folded pile of laundry that had been sitting on a chair for a week.
“What? No! Of course not. Don’t be silly.” I narrowed my eyes and gave him that, “I would never leave the water running and just walk away” look. The audacity to accuse me of such forgetfulness.
Unless….oh wait.
I did just wash my hands, but that was whole minutes ago.
“I mean, psh.” Probably wasn’t me, is what I meant to say.
Then my man did that thing that’s so annoying, where he thinks he’s imitating me, except this time he did a ballet-leap, with arms overhead, saying in falsetto, “OH, there went a butterfly!” He spun around the room on tip toes, as if chasing a winged creature that fluttered by.
HE MOCKED ME.
I should have been really mad at him, right then and there. Because it’s so mean.
But I had to laugh. Mostly because he looked ridiculous, a grown man pirouetting around the room, but also just a teeny bit because I deserved the teasing.
It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been accused of “chasing butterflies” when I should be focused on a task as simple as washing my hands. But darn it! Sometimes an amazing thought, or creative idea, or hey, remembering plants that need watering, will fill my head and make me forget what I’m doing!
I admit it. I’m a dreamer.
Which really makes it tough to fold laundry. And apparently, turn faucets off.
Sometimes my dreams get in the way of regular life.
Or more accurately, regular life gets in the way of my dreams.
What do you do when you’re trying to hold on to your dreams while your hands are stuck in dishwater? Or when the demands of parenting drain every last brain cell from your head as you hit the pillow after another day of making zero progress on your personal goals?
What do you do when you want to light the world on fire with your dream, but you need to work full-time and the kids’ soccer practice takes up every other free moment?
How do you reconcile The Dream – with Real Life?
Here are Five Strategies for Keeping Your Dream Alive when Real Life Keeps Threatening to Kill It
1. Hate to say this, but you must start with this mindset: Your regular life is most people’s dream.
A perspective that starts with gratitude is one that God can work with. Instead of grumbling over the dishes, the laundry, the errands and the work that keeps me from pursuing “my” dream, I can choose to see those things as amazing gifts. I can dream because I have food in my belly and clothes on my back and water I can just leave running. Maybe that sounds trite, but it is true. Start with thanks.
2. Trust God’s timing. If your dream is God-given, contrary to how you may feel at this moment, it will not disappear under the laundry pile.
I know this first hand. God will continue to fan the embers of your dream as you commit to serving and loving the people in your care. Mommas with littles (especially), you need to know that God sees you, He sees your work and your unselfish embrace of the tremendous task of raising children….and He will be faithful to you. To the dream He has put on your heart. His timing is perfect. He will not be late. His gifts and His callings are irrevocable. Rom. 11:29.
3. Take small steps instead of huge leaps.
Can you take fifteen minutes each day to improve your skill? Practice your craft? Study your field of interest? Big things happen in small steps, taken consistently. While we wait for entire days or weeks to magically open up so we can “really focus” on our dream, little pockets of time have slipped through the cracks.
Try making a chain of X’s on a calendar for each day you accomplish your small goal. You’ll be amazed at how it adds up. Whole books can be written in 500 words per day. Marathons can be trained for. Art can be made. Books can be read. Blog posts can be created.
Don’t disparage the power of little steps to accomplish big dreams.
4. Make connections.
Good things happen through relationships. Doors open, ideas flow, opportunities present themselves. Find people in your Dream field and connect with them through social media, clubs, local organizations, email, volunteering. Look for ways to serve and learn. And remember: Friends help friends. When you are ready to launch, your friends will help you – because they love you and want to return the favor.
5. Become accountable.
Commit to a deadline. I’m surprised at how inspired I get at the last minute! When I know I have to complete an art project or a writing job, I somehow get it done. When there is no specific time frame, guess what? Nothing happens. A deadline will push you to make progress on your dream, and will help you develop while you wait.
When God gives you a dream, but doesn’t take away the laundry, the job, the dishes or the commitments that seem to hamper that dream, don’t get discouraged. Instead, see it as boot camp for greatness. Embrace your “regular life” and be faithful in the midst of it. Then, look for small ways to nurture your creativity and passion, make connections, and set some deadlines. Remember, folded laundry is slightly overrated.
God’s timing is always perfect, and His plans for you may be better than you’ve even dreamed.
Keep chasing those butterflies.
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