The other night, my husband and I sat down and mapped out the big vision for our family and lives together, and it was so edifying. We have some big dreams when it comes to having our own homestead, farming, work, family, church and ministry, and at times, it can be hard to see how it all comes together.
A lot of us have big dreams and things we want to accomplish in our lifetimes. But for most people, the weeks turn into years, and we often don't move the needle on getting any closer to those big dreams.
For example, if you want to travel the world, but you keep waiting to have the time off work, to save up enough money, to wait for the pandemic to be over, etc.. In the meantime, you follow all those people on Instagram who are traveling the world, and you wonder how they do it. Sadly, for many people, with time and lack of action on those big dreams, they simply get put on the shelf and we settle into ordinary life as it is.
I don't want that for my life or my family. I don't want to be 80 and look back and wish I had lived with less fear and more action. I don't want to just exist and go through the motions of daily life without intentionally making steps every day towards the life we want to build. I'm pretty sure you don't want that either.
So, that's where the markers and giant poster board came out. We sat down on our living room floor and did a giant mind map of all the things we envision in our future. As a visual learner, it helped me to see how it all connects, and for the analytical side of me, it helped to figure out how long certain dreams will take to accomplish and how much money we need to save for each step of the journey.
Now, we'll work backwards to choose a few goals we can work on now and accomplish this year that will get us a few steps closer to the big vision we mapped out. We'll keep praying through it, as all of it is subject to God's will and timing. We don't want to live this life aimlessly, but to steward what God has given us well for His glory, including the dreams He's put on our hearts to pursue.
ACTION STEP: When you're 80 and looking back on your life, where will you be grateful you spent your time and attention? What kind of person did you become?
Here are a few tips that have helped me further clarify my big vision and how I’m working today towards my future dreams (pick which ones work best for you!):
Create a Pinterest board to illustrate your big vision. Don’t overthink it - add images that spark something in you, that inspire you, and maybe even upload your own images. Don’t worry about making it perfect - you can always curate it later. If you’re old school, you can also cut images out of magazines and create a physical vision board!
Break down your big vision into smaller parts by describing where you see your life going in each area of your life: family, health, friends, finances, work, and spiritual life.
Create a mind map of all your big dreams. Put it all out there, even the dreams that seem impossible or crazy. As you write, you might have this nagging thought that what you want to write down is impossible or you’ll never accomplish something like that. Ignore that voice and write it down anyways. Organize it by areas of your life or freestyle it and just do a brain dump of dreams.
If you’re having trouble curating a big vision, here are some questions to journal through:
Pray through this. Ask the Lord to renew in you His dreams and desires for your life.
Is there someone’s life or accomplishments you envy or admire? Think of the last time you saw someone share a milestone or accomplishment on social media and you felt that tug of “I want that too” or “that’s my dream.”
Describe the kind of woman you want to become. List characteristic traits you want to develop, habits, accomplishments, etc.
What did you dream about being when you grew up? What ambitions did you have when you were in college or just starting out your career?
If money wasn’t an issue, and you could spend your days doing anything you want, how would you fill your time?
When you think about the legacy you want to leave behind, what does that include? What did you do with your one life? What will people say about you at your funeral?
Once you’ve mapped out the big vision of where you want your life to go, make a list of steps that will get you there. For example, if you want to buy a house, your list could include things like: save up a down payment in the amount of [$X] by [DATE], contact a realtor, get pre-approved for a loan, figure out my budget and price range for buying, etc.
Next, out of that list, choose the steps you can take this year to work towards those dreams. Break it down as much as possible - into daily, weekly and monthly goals. Set milestones to reach. And then start. Action creates clarity. Faith takes action.
Proverbs 16:9 says “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” But God also can’t steer a parked car, so it is only when we take steps forward in faith that God can establish our steps and plans. Dream big and go work towards those dreams, trusting that God will open and close doors according to His will for your life, give you wisdom every step of the way, and lead you, step by step.
This week’s favorites
6 career hacks from Apple VP Kate Bergeron
[A] lot of career choices are like a game of Chutes and Ladders. You don't always get to just walk up the ladder. Sometimes you have to move horizontally or even go down a little to an opportunity that eventually will lead you to the next ladder.” This interview has some great career advice, especially for working moms!
Women Are Losing Confidence At Work – Here’s How To Help Them In 2022
In a recent survey, 1 in 2 women said they were not very confident at work, citing a lack of supportive environments, growth and development opportunities and professional networks.