Sunday's Dreams vs. Monday's Reality
Life just keeps life-ing. What will you call progress this week?
"Dreams are lovely. But they are just dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral, pretty. But dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It's hard work that makes things happen." - Shonda Rhimes
On Sundays, we dream.
We dream of all the big, beautiful projects we will work on all week.
The writing we’ll do.
The clients we’ll serve.
The idealistic connections we’ll make.
The courageous asks we’ll take.
On paper, it’s all so grand!
This is what I say to my business strategy clients … on paper that business plan looks AH-mazing!
And, it is.
Then, reality hits.
Like a Monday afternoon Mood, things don’t always go as planned.
The responsibilities start to pile up all around.
Then, the doubts. The fears. The self-sabotage. The overthinking.
The heat stops working, or the washer breaks down. The dog needs walked.
Then, someone gets sick.
A client cancels.
The words don’t flow.
The brain gets overwhelmed and exhausted.
Energy dips.
Dreams and passion projects get put on the backburner.
And so … we tend to the little fires everywhere.
And then numb out doing things that are easy and quick to grab and do but still aren’t the passion work of our dreams.
And then, is it no wonder? We compare ourselves to other people’s progress, highlight reels and social media images.
— and this is where quitting on ourselves happens … —
This is the paradox of Sunday’s Dreams and Monday’s Realities.
And these adulting responsibilities that pile up may be why you feel you aren’t making the kind of progress you want to make on your passion projects.
I know for a long time as I juggled motherhood and running my own business, I felt this stark reality.
I was so dreamy on a Sunday afternoon planning everything out. But by Monday afternoon, reality of responsibilities had kicked in.
Life just keeps life-ing. I say this daily to my clients.
Your only mission is to just keep going and not let life get in your way.
To keep fighting for the time and space to do your passion work without exhaustion getting you down.
To insist on getting the support you deserve to stay accountable to the work of your dreams no matter what.
Because every tiny step forward is still progress … as long as you see it that way.
a started but unfinished draft or sentence or chapter is still progress.
a client lead you made just a little bit warmer is still progress.
finding an email for that big ask is still progress.
a brilliant idea for a new offer in your business scripped on a napkin is still progress.
a spark of clarity in a sea of overwhelm is still progress.
Progress isn’t linear.
And, it’s not always fine art.
It’s messy.
And murky.
I get this because I have experienced this for 12 years as a creative strategist and coach for women creatives and visionaries.
Sometimes, the Mondays last all week or month or season.
I assure you … it’s not you.
It’s just life.
The real question: What are you capable of doing with that messy life?
🦚🦚 Braving YES Wisdom: You get to decide if your life is running you — or if you are running your life. 🦚🦚
Oh, how I love to journal! It’s a morning and nightly practice for me. I’ve been offering prompts to clients for 12 years!
This week’s 5 Braving YES journaling prompts I am offering (to our paid community) are to help you find that sweet balance between adulting and your passion work. I hope these 5 prompts give you something to journal about each day, sparking that sense of urgency you need to keep life’s life-ing from stealing the show.