The following article is full of some big concepts. If you prefer, you can start with a visual of the whole process
Rereading that headline makes me laugh. What a promise, especially coming from someone who spent the better half of their life feeling lost and depressed. However, I also spent decades looking for answers to these questions. It’s only relatively recently that I’ve felt confident to share what I’ve learned. You could say that I’ve turned my mess into a message. Haha.
Anyway, I believe life is an adventure and that we are here to explore and be amazed by ourselves. That exploration could be anything from a travel adventure to learning how to play the violin to seeing the miracle of a tomato being born in your garden. I distill decades of experience into this simple yet profound advice on how to turn dreams into reality with these simple steps: dream, plan, do, grow.
By the way, I assure you, this process is evidence-based. In fact, I spent years researching how to dream in conjunction with the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Public Schools. We even published a paper in a scientific journal. It’s weird to even say now. I put all my dream research info here.
My quick advice on how to dream an adventure
I didn’t always feel like my life had a purpose, but my adventure began with this question: If I could do anything, what would I do? It may seem like an innocent or obvious question, but to me, it was the most awesome (literally meaning: frightening and inspiring) question I had asked myself. This question drove me around the world on a bicycle, seeking the meaning of life and the secret of happiness. “If I could do anything…” is a question that never ceases to amaze me. It essentially asks: How can I live the best life possible? How can I be the hero of my own story? If I had all the money in the world, what would I do?
I invite you to ask yourself this same question and spark your journey: If you could do anything, what would you do?
My quick advice on how to plan an adventure
I began my trip feeling afraid and lost, but I didn’t know that the very best adventure, by definition, is unimaginable and impossible until it is done. And I didn’t know that humans instinctively fear the unknown. Life is not easy. This is good news! Not only is the world a constantly changing place, but you can actually change it—you can create the adventure you are looking for, you can create the world you want to live in, and you can create yourself to be a hero; therefore, I need to give you no advice except, If you have the passion and the courage—you will find the way.
My quick advice on how to do an adventure
Despite what I just said, my main advice is even simpler — Enjoy the journey. That may sound simplistic and easy, but how many people really enjoy their journey through life? Also, remember someday, you will return to living a “regular” and “ordinary” life, so enjoying the journey will mean everything, and simply achieving some monumental goal or notch on your belt may mean nothing at all. Learning to enjoy the journey is insurance against failure. Learning to enjoy the journey is your first defense against taking yourself too seriously. Enjoying the journey is the reward.
My quick advice on how to grow after an adventure
When your adventure is over, you have either turned your dream into a reality or failed. I know “fail” is a harsh word, but we’ve all been there, and failure is a natural, if not necessary, step. So, the first and most important lesson is that you have still succeeded in creating a new reality. It is just not the reality you intended. You may not yet realize it, but you have grown as a person. Eventually, it is even possible to enjoy your failures, or, as my art teacher called them, “happy accidents.” On the other hand, if you achieved your goal, I ask: “Do you feel accomplished?” This is a question that may take some time to answer, so be patient. I actually still have moments, mini moments of enlightenment you could call them, where I realize what I accomplished during my bike trip.
Either way, whether you succeeded or failed, now is the time to reevaluate the lessons learned. These are important building blocks to beginning your next, bigger and better dream.
Where to start
A backup plan
It is presumed that you need a dream — a grand purpose — to begin living your life. Perhaps this is ideal; however, you can start with any step. As you can see below, one leads to another.
If you don’t have a dream, I recommend trying everything and seeing how it feels. This is how we educate children. We sign them up for everything: sports, music, art, science, etc. They try it all until they find something that resonates with them. In other words, exploring or playing is my favorite place to start. It’s the solution to getting unstuck. Just goof around until you find something that resonates with you.
If you don’t have a plan, try learning about the overall process. (That’s what you are doing right now.) In other words, plan the plan.
If you’re lacking motivation, perhaps you need a new dream, a dream that fuels you with the passion to overcome any obstacle. If you are afraid to start, perhaps you need a better plan so you feel safe and confident to move forward.
If you are feeling stuck on all the steps, keep in mind that it takes time to absorb the lessons learned from the last adventure before beginning anew. However, if you are not excited about what you are doing, perhaps you need a new dream or a better plan.
