Earlier this month my little family made a “Fall Dream Board.” We rolled out a piece of paper on the kitchen island, set out a stack of old magazines, and clipped and taped our ideas as the mood moved us. Here’s what we came up with:
It was incredible to hear what activities were interesting to each of us, and why. My husband want to find tacos al pastor here in St Louis. My daughter wants to build a castle out of items in the recycling bin. I want to stare at fall leaves (preferably in a midi skirt). We want to spend time in Illinois, and pet goats (?!!)
Here’s the thing… besides ‘just’ being a fun family activity…
I’ve since found myself feeling more optimistic and inspired than I have felt in a long time.
What’s important is that I don’t feel pressure to actually do everything on the list; it’s a Dream Board, not a “To Do List”, after all. But still, keeping the ideas posted on the wall helps serve as a daily reminder of our hopes and hold us accountable.
I’m not sure where the quote came from, but “you can’t be what you can’t see.”
Allowing ourselves the space and time to dream a bit – and to really visualize those dreams – sets us up to make the choices and take the actions to make those dreams a reality. For me, I’m looking forward to a special fall season.
IDEAS TO ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES:
- Make a themed dream board – either alone or with family or friends. It could be a seasonal board, it could be focused on a goal you’ve set, it could be around travel, hobbies, career goals, whatever.
- Notice what themes emerge: indoor vs outdoor, activities vs things, alone vs group, etc. What colors, materials, smells does it evoke? Reflect on what this means for how and where you choose to spend your time.
- Now, look at your calendar. How might you preemptively align your calendar with your Dream Board? What activities do you need to say “no” to? What do you need to make space for?