Are Your Dreams on Life Support?

Before he made it big as a pop star, he worked at the Executive Room in Los Angeles, playing the piano while people drank at the bar.

 

In his nightly conversations with the patrons, he noticed a nagging theme. It didn’t matter if they were wealthy, famous, or poor, the stories they told him about their lives spoke of loneliness and, deeper still, unfulfilled dreams.

 

A middle-aged man, stuck in a dead-end job who dreamed of being a movie star.

 

A real estate agent who never got around to writing the novel in his head.

 

The career Navy officer who wondered if a better life existed as a civilian.

 

A waitress who thought she’d make a pretty good politician.

 

You probably know by now the identity of the pop star and the song he wrote: “Piano Man,” written and sung by Billy Joel.

 

Every time I listen to it, my heart aches. It’s a song about dreams that have died. It’s about trying to forget the life that never was, the unrealized hopes that haunt us in our darkest moments.

 

Do you ever feel that way?

 

In my final post of 2021, I asked, “What’s the dream?” To my astonishment, it was the most popular post I’ve written with Illumify. By far.

 

Settling on the lives we know prevents us from pursuing and achieving the dream. Let’s look at how you can break free from its hold.

 

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Pursuing the Dream Isn't Easy

Opting for lives of safety and mediocrity come easy. We don’t need to do hardly a thing. Just settle on the life we have.

 

Sounds boring, doesn’t it?

 

Now, I don’t claim to live the perfect life, nor am I advising you to “Be like Mike.” However, I do believe I’m one of the few people who’s spent the majority of their lives living the dream.

 

Here’s how I break free from the life I know and live the dream:

 

Create a dream routine. I know, I know, this is a no-brainer. It’s easy to think about the dream while you’re driving to work or waiting to fall asleep. But what if you built dreaming into your routine?

 

First thing every morning, I grab a cup of coffee and go to my office where I take time be still, meditate, and listen.

 

I also block out Friday mornings, in part, to dream and ask myself, “What if?” Eliminate any and all distractions during this time: email, Facebook, needy kids, annoying spouses (just kidding!).

 

If your day job gets in the way of your dream, plan a personal retreat and actually get away, even if it means renting a hotel room for a night or two on the weekend. When I served as a pastor, I did this almost every quarter.

 

During my retreats, I would journal, read, pray, and most importantly be still. All too often, the craziness that life brings can distract us and drown out that still small voice that guides us into the adventure.

 

My best ideas were borne out of those quiet moments: moving to Pasadena thirty years ago, suggesting my high school-age daughter switch from violin to viola (it resulted in a HUGE music scholarship in college), and leaving pastoral ministry and forming Illumify (that was a scary one!).

 

Take action. Stop talking about what you want to do, and actually do it. It’s easy to talk about doing something, and by talking about it, we convince ourselves that we’re doing it when we aren’t.

 

Stop talking about the book you’re going to write someday and actually write it.

 

It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just do something!

 

Make friends with risk. Breaking free from a life of safety always means the possibility of failure. Every. Single. Time. If it can’t fail, it isn’t a risk.

 

Let me suggest another word for risk: opportunity. Obviously, not every risk offers an opportunity, but every opportunity involves risk.

 

Surround yourself with people who are more talented than you. You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room all the time. I love hanging out with people smarter, and especially, more creative than me. It challenges me and stirs my creative juices.

 

As a writer, attend writers groups and then hang out with people who know what they're doing.

 

You'll grow by osmosis!

 

Get outside help. You don’t need to know everything. If you lack knowledge or a specific skill to pursue the dream, pay someone to guide you.

 

When I transitioned from a career in pastoral ministry to running a publishing company, I felt totally overwhelmed. I initially spent time with a mentor in the publishing industry. Then I paid $10,000 for a year of consulting. Then I hired a small business coach. For the last year, a very successful business coach has guided me.

 

The result? Last year we doubled our business. My business coach has made a significant impact on the direction of Illumify. He challenges me and keeps me focused on my goals.

 

If you’re waffling about getting started on your book, or maybe you’re stuck at a crossroads in your story, get a coach.

 

Life is too short to allow a manuscript problem to immobilize you.

 

Karen Bouchard, our Master Book Coach can guide you. She's been in publishing longer than me, and she's the best writer I know. Best of all, she's kind.

 

Commit. Probably a third of all authors I know suffer from the fear of commitment. They’re terrified of failure which paralyzes them from getting anything done.

 

Lately, I’ve been getting calls from authors who are far from completing their manuscript. But they want to sign a contract because it forces them to finish it.

 

You don’t need to have a finished manuscript to sign a contract with Illumify. Actually, signing without a completed manuscript offers some significant benefits:

• Feedback on your manuscript from yours truly
• Discounted book coaching with Karen Bouchard
• Exclusive training for Illumify authors
• Motivation to finish your manuscript.

I can't emphasize that last bullet point enough.

 

Click here to schedule a no-obligation consultation with me. I'll give you honest feedback on your manuscript. And, we can together explore the possibilities of your book idea.

 

Let’s bring your book to life!