Do you remember when you were younger and you allowed yourself to dream big? You probably had no trouble setting lofty goals, unabashedly fantasizing about being a best-selling mystery novelist or the fastest runner in the New York City Marathon or a world-traveling translator for the United Nations (C’est moi). You believed these dreams could come true!
Now that you are older (and supposedly wiser!), do you still have big, ambitious goals? Do you take them seriously and share them with other people? Or do you dismiss them as silly or impractical and try to ignore them?
A big part of journaling for self-discovery is keeping yourself open to your own crazy ideas and using them to grow and change as a person. For this journaling exercise, let go of your adult "I'm too old for that" attitude and find your Inner Kid’s “anything is possible” answers.
Dreaming Big & Journaling for Self-Discovery
1. Find a quiet place to write and spend a few minutes thinking about the experiences or accomplishments that make the top of your “bucket list” . These may be secret dreams you haven’t talked to anyone else about, or they may be lifelong goals you’re already working hard to achieve. Choose just one of your dreams to write about.
2. Open your personal journal, and write your idea in big, bold letters at the top of the page. Some examples:
• Write and sell a screenplay
• Move to a foreign country for a year or more
• Train for and finish a half-marathon
• Record an album of original songs
• Start a business
3. Read the words you’ve just written out loud. How do they make you feel? Nervous? Excited? Energized? Terrified? Write for five minutes about the emotions this dream inspires.
4. Reflect on why this idea has such a strong attraction for you. What is the core reason you want to achieve this goal? Spend another five minutes putting your thoughts into words in your personal journal. For example, do you want to record an album because you have always loved playing music and dream of being able to move people with your songs? Do you want to start a business because you have a great idea that will create positive change in the world and bring you personal success?
5. Think about what this dream reveals about you as a person. Does it show that you are creative, adventurous, entrepreneurial? Write a single sentence that sums up your conclusion.
What's your big dream? What did you learn (bet you had some surprises, didn’t you?) about yourself in this journaling for self-discovery exercise? Share your experiences with us in the comments.
Resolved to know and understand Your Self better in 2012?
This Who are You? eWorkbook gives you a helping hand or two.
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