Dear Diary,
For the first year of my daughter’s life, I put my dreams on hold. I paused pursuing my wants and desires and focused solely on my child. I told myself I was too busy to finish pre-pregnancy projects and didn’t have the time or the energy to run towards my goals. I yearned to sleep, not dream. But my dreams didn’t disappear. In fact, they grew bigger. I realized my daughter wasn’t a dream deferrer. She’s a dream fulfiller. She is my inspiration to achieve everything I hoped for before and after becoming a mom. Here are five things I’m doing to make my dreams come true.
1. Ban the phrase “I’m too busy” from my vocabulary.
We can all make time for the things we truly treasure. Push your dream to the top of your priority list by setting aside at least thirty minutes a day to work. If you dream of becoming an author, write one page of your bestselling book each day. A sentence leads to a page. A page turns into a chapter. And chapters create a book. If you want to became an artist, pick up a paintbrush. Several strokes soon transform into a masterpiece.
2. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others
Sometimes I fall into the trap of comparing myself to other writers or bloggers. They have twice as many Facebook fans, three times as many Twitter followers and ten times as much content on their site. But they didn’t reach the masses overnight. They worked hard, sacrificed and invested time and money into their dream. Don’t envy the competition. Mimic them. What can you learn from their success?
3. Fail Forward
Don’t give up just because you fail the first time around. Learn from your mistakes and push yourself to the next level. You wouldn’t encourage your child to give up if he/she couldn’t ride a bike, tie a shoe or use the potty on the first try.
4. Don’t Set a Deadline
Not all deadlines area beneficial. Perhaps it will take you six months, not three, to train for a marathon. Or two years not one, to lose your baby weight. Make sure your timeline is flexible and achievable.
Hey DFTM family—Did you put your dream on hold when become a mom (or dad)? What are you doing to make sure your dream comes true?
Thanks!!! This is EXACTLY what I needed to read this week! I’m a FTM who didn’t really accomplish what I wanted to before having a baby. Sometimes I get discouraged about having to give up my own life/dreams now that I’m a mom and (gasp!) am in my 30′s. I often feel like I’ve run out of time, so to speak, so thanks for reminding me that that isn’t true unless I decide it is.
By the way, your daughter is adorable and I’m totally jealous that you live in the Caymans! I was on vacation there exactly a year ago…right before I got pregnant! Lol how funny is that.
Thanks Natalie! Btw, Natalie was on our short list for names. LOVE! I am planning to take my daughter to Cayman, haven’t been back in about 2 or 3 years. It’s such a beautiful and peaceful place.
Glad the article was helpful! We are too hard on ourselves at times. We have to remember that life doesn’t stop when our baby’s life begins. We can still strive toward our goals. Run out of time in your 30s?!?!? You will look back at that statement years from now and laugh. Continue to dream big & work hard! Don’t set unrealistic timelines. Heck, I started to write a book ten years ago!
I totally love ALL of these!!! It wasn’t until my firstborn graduated from high school that I realized how much I had put my personal dreams on hold for the sake of my children. I only recently began to make changes for myself! Awesome post!
Melisa, what changes have you made? Would love to hear how your dreams are coming true or how you are dreaming new dreams!