Honest question. When was the last time you sat down with a pen and a notebook (or your laptop) to write down your dreams? And I’m not talking about the dreams you had while sleeping. I’m talking about the bigger dreams. Your goals. Your long-term aspirations. You know — the things you’re probably too scared to even mention out loud.

Yes, those ones.

I recently went through a big home and office purge – and during that – I stumbled upon my list of goals and dreams I wrote nearly eight years ago. Yes – it’s been that long since I’ve gone through this exercise, but I can remember it like it was yesterday.

I was at the very beginning of my business and I excitedly typed out a pretty long list declaring all of the things I dreamt of accomplishing. I had visions of earning a full-time income through photography, of being hired to shoot destination weddings and of having my very own office space. My list was littered with other dreams, but these were some of my top priorities. At that time, every single line item on that list seemed like a stretch – but they were my dreams none-the-less.

I didn’t think much about that list after I wrote it. I filed the document away and went on with my daily life. But eight years in, I’ll be honest, that it was quite profound unearthing it – only to realize that I’ve accomplished every single dream I wrote down. Sitting alone in my office, I was forced to acknowledge and embrace all I have accomplished as a professional photographer. It was emotional!

It’s easy to lose sight of your progress when you’re grinding day in and day out. Running a business is a full-time job and shooting weddings and lifestyles sessions is a full-time job. I’m not complaining, but I am saying that I regret that I didn’t allow myself to reflect on my accomplishments sooner.

On days or weeks where you feel like your wheels are spinning, it’s hard to see what you’re building and super easy to feel (or get) lost. The beauty of participating in an exercise that asks you to write down your dreams – is that it forces you to get those aspirations out of your head and into reality. By giving yourself the permission to dream, you are creating your own definition of (and roadmap to) success. 

Here’s my challenge to you: Set aside 30-minutes this week to make your list of dreams (professionally and personally). Grab a cup of coffee, cozy up in your favorite chair and make this happen. For you. It doesn’t matter where this happens, but find a place that inspires you, and I caution you to not overthink it. Most importantly, take your ego (and your fear) out of it. Just write.

Your list might only have 5 dreams on it — or maybe it has 35. You do you! And, here’s one final, but very important step. Once your list is complete – save it somewhere and then set a reminder on your calendar to revisit your list in 6 months. I bet you’ll find yourself surprised at what you can cross off!

After stumbling upon my original list of dreams – I went through the exercise again in order to refocus my priorities and to remind myself why I started this business in the first place. I started it to love on my clients through photography and to build a life I can be proud of for my family.

So, what are you waiting for? Get to dreaming!