How to Make Time for Your Dreams in 3 Easy Steps
How to Make Time for Your Dreams in 3 Easy Steps
One of the main things that keeps people from following their dreams is time. We all claim that we don’t have enough of it. But the truth is: we all have 24 hours a day to do whatever it is we can do.
Hey Fam!
Welcome to the 37th issue of The Aim and Soar Life, a weekly Christian personal growth and lifestyle newsletter that provides actionable, relatable, biblically rooted content to help you live abundantly and GROW YOU. GOD’S WAY.
We are talking about BIG dreams this month.
Are you following your BIG dreams, or have you lost that lovin’ feeling?
One of the main things that keeps people from following their dreams is time. We all claim that we don’t have enough of it. But the truth is: we all have 24 hours a day to do whatever it is we can do. This has been said before, I’m not a genius! LOL😂
But let’s start with those 24 hours.
If you have a dream, whether it’s writing a book, starting a business, or becoming an artist, you’ve got to give that dream sufficient time in your life. If you’ve only got 24 hours, you have to make ‘em count.
There are 3 easy ways you can do it:
1. Establish a Dedicated Time and Place to Pursue Your BIG dream
It took me about seven years to write my first book, but the three after it only took a few months each to write. Why? Because I learned that I had to give my dream time—not here and there time, but real, committed time.
I started writing my first published book after graduate school. Then I got married, had a baby, and wrote sparingly. A few years later, I found myself newly divorced with a son who was in an accelerated school.
Between his workload and my workload as a school social worker, I felt that I didn’t have any more time to give. There was never any “extra” time, so I wrote here and there with no finish date in mind.
Fast forward to my next three books, I learned the valuable lesson of making time for my dream of becoming an author.
You don’t have to work toward your dream every day if your schedule is too packed, but you do need to establish a day, time, and place when you will work toward your big dream.
I mainly wrote on the weekends when my son was visiting with his father. I wrote in my room in bed where I felt most relaxed and productive.
Decide on a reasonable time and place that will work for you. The point is to show up for yourself.
Most of us, if we promised a friend we would attend an important event with them, we’d keep our word. Well, you know what? You are an important event. Your dreams are important! Be committed to YOU!
2. Exploit Your Downtime to Work Toward Your Big Dream
Not enough time to work on your big dream, eh? I guarantee I can find some time in those 24 hours we all have.
I don’t believe there is a such thing as “extra” time, but I wholeheartedly believe we all have some downtime—even the busiest person on the planet.
Downtime is that unscheduled time in our lives that is not blocked out for other activities, such as a lunch break, restroom break, or shower.
It could also be the in-between meeting time at work, or the time you spend waiting at the doctor’s office. These times are sweet spots because they can allow you to think about your dream and make plans.
I’ve heard authors and songwriters say they get ideas while they are in the strangest places! Most of them take advantage by saving or recording these ideas for later (more on this in a bit).
You can perform small, yet meaningful tasks related to your dream during your downtime, like researching how to start a bakery if that’s your passion.
Most of all, you can use your downtime to pray about your dreams and affirm them.
Believe in your dreams and submit them to God. He will direct you.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV
Honor the creativity and specific skills God has given you.
2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—
Exodus 31:2-3, NIV
Embrace your dreams and relinquish your fears of inadequacy
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10, NIV
3. Create a Dedicated Think Tank for Your BIG dream Thoughts
You want your vision to come to life, don’t you? I’m pretty sure you don’t want to leave this side of heaven with an unrealized dream in your heart if you have the means to make it happen.
Dreams are like plants and pets. They need your delicate, dedicated care!
Your dream needs to be nurtured. God blesses us with the ability to create and plan. You need a journal or some other way to record the thoughts He gives you. I like to use a journal, but a notes app or some other app will work just fine.
When something comes to mind, jot it down in your think tank. You can “massage” and “explore” the idea later. But be careful to avoid putting anything in your think tank that has nothing to do with your big dreams. 😍You don’t want to stuff your think tank full of grocery lists and other things.
Give your dreams their own space.
This is a sneaky way to work on your dream every day. You don’t need a dedicated block of time or space for this step. All you need is to record your thought or idea so that you can come back to them later, like during your dedicated space and time. Hint. Hint.😉
This can be done while riding on the train, in the car, or the grocery line. And believe me, you can have some real fun with this step if you use voice notes.
The next thing you want to do in your think tank is to keep a list of names, websites, or email addresses of people or companies that can assist you in realizing your BIG dream.
For instance, if you run into an art instructor at an event, and your big dream is to become an artist, keep that person’s name in your think tank because he or she may be instrumental in helping you achieve your big dream or connect you with others. A think tank provides the foundation and the building blocks for your big dreams.
God is sovereign. He knows your every thought. He knows the things He placed in your heart. Pursue what He has given you for His good purpose. Give your dreams to Him. Let Him lead you and hold you accountable. 😍
I wish you much success as you pursue your BIG DREAMS!
Until Next Time,
GROW YOU. GOD’S WAY.
Sherrhonda
P.S.
I’d LOVE for you to meet me on the web: