It was like finding buried treasure.
Reorganizing a spare room recently led to the unearthing of old photos and memorabilia from key moments in our family’s life. My daughter Kennedy’s scribbled declaration that she wanted to be an actor at age seven. My son Kilian’s drawing of the Pokemon Charizard. The promo poster from my wife Lisa’s first book signing. The spooky story I wrote in 7th grade.
It reminded me how far each of us had come. Kennedy had a successful four-year run as Nancy Drew on the CW network and just finished filming the pilot episode for The Good Lawyer, a proposed spin off of ABC’s The Good Doctor. Kilian is a professional illustrator and graphic designer with his own company. Lisa is a New York Times bestselling author of 29 books and counting. My own spooky middle grade debut series Monsterious hits the shelves May 9, 2023.
Highlighting the successes we are enjoying in our careers can be deceiving. It can give the impression that we had our childhood dreams, and then we achieved them. What’s missing is the journey down long, winding roads filled with potholes, barricades, washed-out bridges, and steep inclines. Failure, exhaustion, crushing defeats, confusion, hard work, and self doubt were, and still are, familiar companions to each of us.
True personal development is a similar journey. We have a dream, an image of who we want to become, physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. We start down the path like so many before us, and quickly learn that real change does not come cheap. Focus, sweat, grit, and perseverance are the price. That’s why so many turn back, choosing the easier though ultimately unfulfilling road of abandoned dreams.
But a worthy goal is worth the struggle. All the effort, disappointment, fear, and frustration shrink to insignificance when we reach the mountaintop and bask in the sun of our realized dream.
What are your personal development goals? Who would you love to become? Paint a compelling picture of what you want to achieve. Map out clear, practical steps. Invite a trusted companion to encourage you and hold you accountable. Take the first step. When you fall, get up and start again. If you do, you’ll know the fulfillment of real change and the joy of a life worth living as you take another giant leap toward Becoming Yourself.
I was recently reminded of one of those dreams. I tend to be more reflective this time of year and that led me to look at some old journal notes. I stumbled across a dream that I had written down on Dec 31, 2015 because it felt like one of the “more meaningful” variety. It seems somehow appropriate for Old Year’s reflection and New Year’s goal setting so I thought I’d share it here. I hope that it helps you decide on what you want to achieve or, more importantly, who you want to be in the year ahead. Remember, this is a recording of a dream so take that into account as you assess the weirdness factor :)
1. PLAY – it’s the field where new ideas are birthed and all things are
2. DREAM – allow God and/or your own imagination to bring visions to your mind and heart. Dream big dreams. What are you passionate about? What would you attempt if you knew you wouldn’t fail? What would you try if you had unlimited resources? Take a few minutes to regularly let your mind run free this year. It will probably point you in some new, life-giving directions.
3. PRAY – ask God for wisdom and direction on what you should do. If the God thing isn’t for you, seek advice from others you respect on significant decisions you need to make or ideas you have. This is a smart thing to do in addition to prayer anyway. It can help you focus your efforts and avoid pitfalls in the year ahead.
4. PLAN – prepare, organize, and do the work of going after your dreams. When I lived in Michigan, we had an auto insurance acronym called P.L.P.D. I don’t remember what it stood for but I’ve revamped it for my own life to stand for Pray, List, Prioritize, Do. It’s been a helpful framework to give some direction to my goals for years.