Broaden Your Imagination: How to Pursue Your Goals

Sometimes, I think up big ideas—pursuing a singing career, starting a podcast, launching a business. All of these ideas seemed impossible until they weren’t. What makes our goals possible is us. It might sound woo-woo to say you can be what you want to be, but even though we all have limitations and real human restrictions, I believe that if something pulls you to pursue it, it means something.

If I keep thinking and dreaming of being a writer, there’s a reason. My interest alone means I should pursue it in some way. And that’s the way to pursue it: with intrigue. To achieve something big, it needs to be broken down into little pieces:

Follow Your Curiosity: Pursue your goal by getting curious about it. Curiosity will guide you to where these opportunities arise. For instance, if you’re curious about being a musician, look up your favorite artists’ origin stories or attend local open mics or bookstore shows. Allowing yourself to explore will put you where these things are happening.

Loosen Your Grip: When pursuing something new, remain open-minded. You likely have preconceived notions about how your goal should look and feel, but it’s crucial to stay flexible. Your journey might differ from what you anticipated, and that’s okay. You might discover that you don’t want it as much as you thought, and there’s nothing wrong with that. This kind of “failure” still alleviates the “what if” you’d ponder for the rest of your life had you not tried.

Widen Your Imagination: If you can’t see your goal as possible, open your mind a little more. There are countless ways to achieve anything. If you don’t know what to do, that’s all it is—you don’t know yet. Return to step one: get curious, ask people, and learn more about it. Broaden your perspective.

Embrace the Challenge: Pursuing new goals can be scary. It feels vulnerable to admit your dreams. But it’s even scarier not to try, letting life decide your next steps until you die. Take control of your pursuits by taking small, deliberate steps toward what interests you.

Yes, it’s daunting to step out of your comfort zone. However, the journey of pursuing your dreams, even if it takes you down unexpected paths, is immensely rewarding. Remember, your curiosity and imagination are powerful tools. Use them to navigate your way to a fulfilling life.

ACTION: Write down one goal you’ve been thinking about and list three small steps you can take towards it. This simple exercise will help you visualize your path and motivate you to take those initial steps.

POST

Handling Difficult Relationships Calmly

There are people I have to “get ready” for. I need to set my mind at ease before meeting them because they tend to trigger me. I might feel baited into arguments or discussions I didn’t want to be...

Dealing with Disruption

I’ve developed a few routines for my day to help things go smoother—including some physical and mental exercises like planking, yoga, writing. I’ve done these long enough that I don’t need to think...

Actively Generate Motivation

This morning, I woke up needing a bit of a boost. I spent about half an hour listening to motivational speakers—lecturers, storytellers, even the occasional yeller—and watched some videos. It’s one of...

Coping with Setbacks

I used to hate the saying “two steps forward, one step back.” It always seemed unfair that after putting in all the effort to move ahead, I’d suddenly be dragged back again—like some...

How to Help When Someone’s Upset

I’ve heard it many times: when someone is upset, don’t offer solutions. Ironically, that idea seems to upset people. If someone I know is struggling and I can clearly see the solution, why wouldn’t I...

Stay Productive Through Intense Emotions

Today, I might not feel motivated to do my job. I might feel bored by the mundane tasks ahead or uninspired by the effort it takes to move through the day. I might not feel like working. But over the...