Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Today’s blog post comes from a quote that is extremely popular on these internet streets, which is a very loose translation/restatement of something from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
As you may know, I run a workshop called Dream It, Do It, which is based on the idea that “if you can dream it, you can do it” — a quote from Thomas Fitzgerald, an Imagineer who worked for Disney. That’s not all that far off “whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.” In fact, if you want to read about dreaming your dreams and making them real, I’ve got you with this blog post. If you feel like your dreams have stalled, maybe try last week’s post, entitled “But I forgot how to dream.”
This week, we get to the part where we talk about what it means to “do it” or “begin it." But we all know that if it were as simple as “just doing it”, we’d be doing daring things all the time. That’s just not the case.
How do you get up the gumption to follow your dreams?
First, get clear on what your dream is. Use as many of your senses as you can:
What will it look like? What will your home or workplace look like? What will YOU look like? Visualize and write down everything you can see when you picture it.
What will it feel like? Physically, mentally, emotionally: how will it feel? How can you anchor that feeling in your body NOW?
What might you hear, taste, and even smell if you achieve your dream? (E.g., if your dream is to visit Greece, you might hear the ocean or people speaking Greek, taste amazing wine or food, smell salt air or herbs or even fish on the pier . . . )
The more things you can imagine and anchor in right now, the easier it will be for you to hold your dream in your mind and body, which makes doing the things to get there a whole lot easier.
Second, get moving. Whether it’s a small action or a larger one, you aren’t going to get anywhere at all unless you move. Movement might look like:
Researching to find a group you want to join, a class you want to take, where to get the supplies to make something you want to make, etc.
Signing up for a course, a membership, a training, or something else that will get you started on the path you want to take.
Opening a personal bank account if you don’t have one, so that you can put some money away for yourself alone.
Talking to a realtor if you want to buy or sell a house; talking to an attorney if you want to separate from a spouse, or set up a trust, or make a will; talking to a financial advisor (I recommend a CFP, or certified financial planner, who is a fiduciary and therefore has to give you the best advice FOR YOU, not what would benefit THEM), talking to someone who does the job you think you want, etc.
Writing down lists of the tasks you know you need to do in order to get started on the course you are thinking of.
Third, get some support.
If you have someone supportive who you can tell, do that, so they can help you to hold your vision and cheerlead for you. This could be a spouse, a family member, a friend, a co-worker, or an online friend.
If you do not have someone who will whole-heartedly support you, consider relying on your spirit team for support until you meet someone who will support you the way you deserve. Oftentimes, well-meaning family members will “help” by questioning every last thing or “playing devil’s advocate” to point out weaknesses.
Find like-minded people where you can, and consider working with a mentor if you can find one, or with a coach.
Remember that not every day will be a win, and not every day will feel like a high-energy, go-get-it day. And that’s okay.
Here’s a link to a GUMPTION Playlist that I created for you.
Sign up for Dream It, Do It
If you want some help envisioning and anchoring in your dream, then Dream It, Do It is the perfect workshop for you. It’s three hours of time in community. Travel forward in time during the guided meditation and bring back ideas and knowing from your future self. Capture your experience through guided journaling, then create an energized vision board for it. Finally, begin making a plan toward your dream—turning it into a goal.
