Dreaming With Your Eyes Open

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Note from Kimanzi: I am out of the country speaking at WordCamp Sydney in Sydney, Australia (yeah!). While I’m away I’ve asked several bloggers to guest post in my place, enjoy! This is a guest post by Dana Pittman who is married with children residing in the Houston, TX area. She is a writer, speaker and Bible teacher slowly penning her next novel. You can read her blog and follow her on Twitter and Facebook. If you would like to guest post on this blog, email a post to kimanzi@talesofwork.com

Dread filled my mornings. The snooze button was my only ally, it and my husband. I had to make a decision: Practice law or live my dream.

But I had two major problems:

We had very little savings and my job had a very nice salary.
My dream was fuzzy. I had a few ideas but nothing concrete.

I let my problems overshadow my hope and instead I continued to loathe the sound of my alarm clock. It reminded me daily of how much I desperately wanted out.

I wish I did something smart like read Kimanzi’s book. No, that would have been too much like right. Instead…I walked away.

Don’t try this one at home.

                                                                   Dreaming with Your Eyes Open

If I had to do it again I’d suggest the following:

 Don’t ditch your primary investor. Your prospective of your employer should be a healthy one. Stop thinking of it as a ball and chain. Think of it as an investor. Your job is financially investing in your future. Thus, treat it and your dream accordingly.
Get organized. The organization ensures you are still present on your job and fulfill your obligations during your working hours. It also means prioritizing your family life and finding the needed time to pursue your dream. It’s not easy yet it’s doable.
Create a plan of action. Create a written plan of action. You should be realistic but don’t rule out the impossible. For starters your plan should include:

Measurable goals,

                                   Financial goals,

                                   Your health,

                                   Ways to nurture and cultivate ideas, and

                                   Any key components related to your personal wellbeing.

I’d like to explain the last one in a bit. Jumping blindly, as I did, only adds to the stress and anxiety with making such an important decision. For example, if you have issues with remaining focused, you may want to include a section on accountability.

Write the plan without input for anyone. Not even your spouse. Write it fully from your perspective. Once you’ve completed it, then share with people who will become vital to your success.

Find a supportive community. This is an area I strongly suggest, yet it’s a personal struggle. After committing to working, spending time with your family, pursuing your dream…how do you include another element in the equation?

Meeting with a writers group or joining a speakers group may seem impossible. However, it usually gets harder before it gets better. Surrounding your efforts by like minds will help weather the challenges ahead. It will also provide an outlet for objective feedback.

Your Success

Dreaming with your eyes open allows you to maintain your livelihood while laying the foundation for your future. I wish I could say I following these suggestions 100%. I don’t. Yet I believe these suggestions will help whether you would like to leave your current employer or make a transition in your existing business to another. The bottom line is by embracing these suggestions you can set yourself up for success with a little planning.

Do you dream with your eyes open?

P.S. William Haeflinger will be moderating the comments while I’m away, thank you!