Big Dreams and Dreaming Big
This is one of those posts that I’ve toyed with writing for a while, but for some reason or another, something was always holding me back from hitting that “publish” button.
Getting personal and putting your big goals and big dreams out there can be intimidating. Then on Monday, my friend and wedding photographer Katelyn shared a post on her blog that was just the kick I needed. She spoke of her big dreams – both personally and professionally. And she spoke of her fears of putting them out there.
It’s like she was speaking my language.
I mean, writing down your big goals and big dreams is intimidating because like, what if they don’t happen? What if those dreams never come true? What if you never reach those goals? Does that mean you failed? Does that mean you’re just a dreamer and a never-doer? And goodness, what will other people think?
Because whether we like to admit it or not, deep down, we care what other people think.
But, like Katelyn said in her post, if you don’t ever write down your goals and your dreams, then that in and of itself is a risk. You may never know the opportunities that could be afforded to you if you just put it out there.
Am I even making any sense?
So yeah, at the ripe age of 28, I have dreams and I have goals. Big ones. Sure, they may change. I may decide that some (or all) aren’t realistic. Or maybe my focus will shift down the road and my goals and dreams will shift, too.
But, regardless, for right now, here’s a little of what I’m dreaming big (in no particular order):
Some Personal Goals & Dreams:
- I want to exclusively breastfeed Lilly until she’s at least 6 months old – and from there, I’d like to still continue breastfeeding until she’s about 18 months old
- I want to get back into a size 8-10 by Lilly’s first birthday – I will ignore the scale because if my clothes are fitting well and I’m feeling healthy – that’s what matters
- I want to go back to Kenya TWICE within the next 5 years. I know it’s going to be so tough with a little one (and future little ones), but my heart is there. I miss those people. I want to show Lilly what it means to be a servant.
- When we retire, I want to buy a SWEET RV, rent out our house, and drive all over the country. I want to go to a football game at every SEC school. I want to go to a baseball game in every major stadium. I want to play all the most gorgeous golf courses in America.
- I want to play golf at Augusta National Golf Course in Georgia. Yes, I know women aren’t allowed to play there, but that’s why it’s a dream. Maybe women will be allowed while I’m still alive.
- I want to learn to plan an instrument. I’d like to learn the guitar someday… but really, any instrument will do.
Some Professional-ish Goals & Dreams:
- I want to be an adjunct college professor and teach a class on blogging, personal branding, social media, and navigating adulthood through the digital age. I love teaching, I miss teaching, and I would abso-freaking-lutely LOVE to teach a college class on all the stuff that I love to do.
- I dream of doing a big brand collaboration with my blog one day. The big brand collaboration I would LOVE to do? I want to design a line of TOMS shoes. Seriously. I want a still being [molly] line of TOMS. I already have like 10 pairs designed in my head. Ballet flats, wedges, and classics. Gorgeous patterns. Bright colors. They’re all there. Know someone who works for TOMS shoes? Tell them to call me.
- I also want to design a line of scarves. I don’t care who makes them, but I want my own line of scarves! I already have like 15 fabrics picked out. Hahaha! No pressure.
- I would also love to design a line of cute, fashionable, trendy, and AFFORDABLE nursing wear. Seriously. It is SO hard to dress cute when you have to pop your boob out all the time. There needs to be cute nursing clothes. I would be happy to work with Motherhood Maternity, Target, or heck, anyone to design some.
- I dream of being able to take this blog full-time. I know that is like the impossible of impossible dreams. But just the thought of being able to write, create, share, dream, photograph, and collaborate for a living? Oh my heart.
- I want to expand my fashion photography portfolio. I love photography and have so much fun with it, but it’s always been a hobby. I’ve done it part-time for the last year doing sessions for friends, family, and seniors – but I would love to expand that even more. Especially in the world of fashion photography. I love the creativity behind it. I would love to photograph an editorial shoot and see my pictures in a magazine.
- I want our nursery re-design to be featured on Young House Love or in a magazine. I know pride is ugly, but I’m really proud of our nursery we did for Lilly. I would LOVE to see it on my favorite home blog Young House Love. Seriously. That would be a dream come true!
So yeah, those are just a few of my big dreams and big goals. Some of them are attainable. Some of them are a little out of reach. But I’m throwing them out there. I’m praying about them. There are other dreams brewing within me, but I figure, you gotta start somewhere, right?
Right.
What dreams are you dreaming big right now?
Thanks for the inspiration, Katelyn!
Linked up with Shanna.
Teach me! I’d totally love to get some help on all of this hullabaloo and I’m sure so many college students would appreciate it too… So go for it and the rest of your dreams… You go girl!
thank you so much, dani!! one day! one day!!
What a great post Molly. I really need to do this, sit down and figure out my short term and long term goals. Good luck with your goals.
Agi:)
vodkainfusedlemonade.com
thank you so much, agi!
I love this, and am totally inspired to write down my own dreams and goals now!!!
i hope you do!
I love love love your dreams and I love that you shared them with the world.
Dreams. I struggle with dreams and goals. My uber driven and successful mom wishes I dreamed bigger. I know she does.
My dreams since age 12 have been to be a wife and mother. Now I’m 42. What do I do with that? Most dreams I’ve had along the way have been squelched.
So, I kinda hide in the corner and just do my job. A job I love but I get squashed whenever I express my real thoughts and opinions so that just makes me cower. Now, that makes me sad. Really sad.
What do you do with dreams you can do absolutely nothing about?
That’s why I haven’t done a post like this. Well, maybe I have but not titled it as such.
You are brave Molly and I love that!
reason #29480381 why i love you. you are an inspiration to me, kristin! i think you should do it. write it. write ’em down. you might surprise yourself!
You can accomplish each one of your goals! They’re big, but feasible. Nursing is definitely doable! Here we are, almost 16 months in, and I’m not sure if I ever wanna stop! Ok, not never, but it’s special and it’s ours. And the TOMS shoe collab?! Awesome! Get it, girl!
One of my huge goals/dreams is to be Montessori certified and open my own school in Virginia. 🙂
that’s awesome, kimberly! i think you can TOTALLY do it. thanks for the encouragement!!
Hey molly! where did you go in Kenya? I’ve been there a couple of times, in the western province- near Kisumu. It’s so good to meet another blogger that has a heart for the same country as me 🙂
stayed in Nairobi a little bit but spent most of our time in Kiria, a small village about 3.5 hours north of nairobi at the base of the aberdare mountains in the Kinangop area. 🙂 i love that country so much. <3
im pretty sure you are going to be able to do ALL of those….ps if you ever get your own Toms line will you do a faux leather pair for me?! Also, we can tag team the fashion photography….your pictures WILL end up in a mag one day 🙂
brooke @ what2wear
you are the best. <3
I think its so cool that you want to design a line of scarves. That’s amazing. I hope your dream comes true 🙂
If you love fashion & beauty be sure to check out my blog: Simply Sabrina
thank you so much, sabrina!
Aw, those all sound great! I hope ALL your dreams will somehow come true!
My biggest dreams are pretty basic. Be happy, be loved, get married, have a family. Although, for me, these are a little more than just basic dreams. I’ve never know happiness, love, or TRUE family. So for me, it’s sort of like dreaming of things that don’t exist. But I can’t stop dreaming.
As far as huge dreams go, I dream of being an author who reaches out to people and saves lives and brings people to Christ. It’s amazing how much impact books have on our lives. Harry Potter has brought us magic. Shakespeare and many other classics still live on after all these years. And the biggest of all? The Bible of course. Books have an impact and I want to reach out to people like me through them. And then I want to help in other ways.
But those are my biggest dreams. lol
wow, toria! i LOVE your dreams! you can totally do it!
This is awesome, Molly!! I had fun reading this 🙂
thank you so much, rebecca!
You have def just inspired me to do a post similar to this one! Ive always had a problem with saying my dreams out loud (in fear of what people may say) you helped me realize there is NOTHING about your dreams that you should be ashamed of. Thank you!
DO IT!! i hope you write it! let me know if you do, i’d LOVE to read it!! 🙂
I really love this, Molly! I’ve always had a hard time sharing my real serious personal goals–maybe because I worry I’ll be embarrassed if I share them but don’t actually achieve them? Either way, this was definitely inspirational to read–and I think a lot of these are SERIOUSLY in your grasp. You’ve already put the intention out there, that’s half the battle!
thank you so much, alyssa!! i hope you share yours toO!!!
I think it would be awesome if you designed scarves! My dream is to open my own clothing boutique (even if it’s just online). I’d also love to blog full time!
-Sharon
The Tiny Heart
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oh sharon you could TOTALLY do that!! i think that would be awesome if you opened your own boutique!
I understand why this is so scary because putting yourself out there is just that! I have so many similar dreams to yours! I love where your heart is. I love your priorities. First and foremost, I would love to be able to grow my blog big enough to have it be my sole income like Shanna or Kate. It would mean I could stay home with my babies. And perhaps one day, I will find a way to do that. Maybe it’s through another format – maybe I should focus on my teaching skills and share concepts/projects/etc. that way. Anyway, I think your dreams and goals are awesome. I can totally see you rocking them.
i love it, lins! you can TOTALLY do it. anything you put your mind to, girl!
Beautiful post! You have done exactly what He said, “And the LORD answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.” Habakkuk 2:2. Very inspirational, thank you for sharing and be blessed. It’s so funny I posted a Wordless Wednesday today of a traffic light set at green, we should all just do the dang thang, whatever it is!
robincharmagne
i absolutely LOVE that scripture, robin. thank you for that! exactly what i needed to read!
Those are some really great goals molly, and I think a lot of them are definitely achievable! I would totally wear one of your scarves.. and heck if you can get me a cute nursing top, I’ll wear that too. 🙂
xo, Yi-chia
Always Maylee
thank you so much, yi-chia!
It’s great that you were willing to share this list with us! I would totally rock a Molly scarf and TOMS! I’ve always wanted a pair, but I’ve never gotten a pair. One of my life goals is to visit Africa..maybe when both kids graduate high school and start college 🙂
As for an instrument, I’ve always wanted to learn how to play one too…I mean I can play a meeeean kazoo, but that’s about it! 🙂
thank you so much, marissa!!! and i hope you get to go to Africa one day! it’s amazing.
This is such a great post. I’m so glad that you shared this! I don’t know why, but I definitely shy away from sharing my long-term goals with people. It’s almost like I’m fearful that I won’t get to that point and saying it out loud would be an embarrassment? It’s silly really. I would absolutely LOVE to be able to blog, even just part-time and stay home with my future children. Maybe one day!
i am the SAME way, lauren!! that’s why i just buckled down and wrote ’em. i hope you write yours down!
You’ve just done the hardest part! The rest is easy. Go get it!
thank you so much!!!
Let’s do the scarves now. Seriously. send me something.
let’s do it.
I love that you wrote your dreams down and shared them with us! This was definitely inspirational. When you design those Toms (which you will) I’ll be the first to buy a pair. Can you make little boy toms too? I’ll buy those as well 🙂 I also want to be a adjunct college professor…something to do with teaching…not quite sure yet. After Noel is done with law school, and all settled in, I’m going to go back for my Masters. Love this list!
thank you so much, ashley!! oh man i would totally make little boy and girl TOMS, too! 🙂 that’s awesome you’re going to go back for your masters!
Hooray! I love this!
thank you so much, lauren!
I resisted doing the same for a very long time, but for my thirty – first birthday, I started a Gaming Company, where I chase the big dream of writing roleplaying books for a living with my best friends. It may be years or decades before we get a product to print, and piracy may well ensure I don’t see a dime for the work, but if it would take off, and I and my friends could quit our da jobs to spend every day writing, collaborating, playtesting, and just enjoying our work, I would be the happiest man alive.
that. is. awesome, jim! you are awesome!
This post hits right at home. Especially now more than ever. I’ve never actually taken the time to write down my goals. I’ve always had a few, but they’ve either changed because that was no longer what I wanted, I had changed and they weren’t right for me, or I convinced myself that I wouldn’t be able to accomplish them. I’ve been living in fear that I’ll fail, and that’s stopped me from even trying to take a step towards my dream. I freeze. I get anxious just thinking about it. But lately I’ve been a little more open to trying. Taking action to accomplish my dreams.
I dream of being able to sell merchandise with my own art. Design and sell my own stationary. Open a small bakery/cafe. Traveling is my biggest one. But most of all, I hope to one day find, or build, my own Victorian house, with fireplaces in every room, and somewhere where I can see the seasons come and go. I know that’ll mean moving away from where my family is, and although I would love to always be near them, I think I would love to try out living somewhere else for a bit.
Anyways, I finally decided to try and make one of those dreams come true. Which would be selling my art at a large convention during the summer. Before I had always been to afraid to fail to even try. ‘Why try when I’m just going to fail,’ was what always ran through my head…..Well, I started about 2 months before because I originally hadn’t planned on doing it, but a friend convinced me. With little to no time to get everything set up I worked like a mad woman to try anyways. I stayed up late almost every night, or well into the next morning/afternoon. I ordered all the supplies I would need. Kept telling myself through the exhaustion that I could do it. But as the date got closer, and people started talking about my not being able to make it, my drive slowed down to a complete stop once the doubt entered. Up until that point I had been telling myself that somehow, some way I would be able to accomplish all the work I still had left. That I would somehow get the money I needed to print everything. But that doubt, it just wiped away all that hope.
Well, the day I was supposed to have set out on arrived, and I called my friend that morning that I wouldn’t be able to make it. All that work, all those hours I had put in, and towards the end I ended up jeopardizing myself the moment I let doubt and fear take hold. I tried to play down just how much I wanted to make it, all the while holding back my tears. For a while I tried working on stuff again, still trying to finish it, even though the dream of selling at the convention was over, I could still sell online. I couldn’t continue after a while though. I just felt so down after that, that I didn’t touch any of my work for most of the summer.
I know I still have a chance of selling next summer, but I had really looked forward to doing it this past one. I had been aiming so hard towards it. I’m trying to get back on that metaphorical horse again, I didn’t realize how hard that moment had impacted me, but because of it I ended up back at square one in terms of motivation. But I’m working on it again. Telling myself that that wasn’t the end. There’s still next year, plenty of time to improve, and create new things. This time I hope that I’m able to silence out all those disbelievers.
I believe I strayed away from the topic a bit, maybe??? But this post made me realize that I’ve never listed what my dreams were. At least not since the 4th grade when they had you do a project about what your dreams are.
Thanks so much for finally hitting that ‘publish’ button and sharing with everyone your dreams. I hope that you’ll be able to fulfill them. My advice, believe you can do it, and don’t let the doubts from others get to you.
wow, heide! this is awesome. thank you so much for sharing! you are an inspiration and i KNOW that you can clearly do anything / accomplish anything you set your mind to. thank you!!!
Wow girl!! this is an awesome list! And I would be in line to buy your toms, scarves and nursing wear! 🙂
See! Send me something. now. anything. random, babbling, ideas strewn together count.
let’s. do. this.
thank you so much, ruthy!