Life is undeniably hard, especially when your mental health is suffering. But when you realize that your job doesn’t have to be your passion in life, it opens an entirely new world for your joy and personal growth. This can happen for anyone who chases their dreams.
When we typically think of chasing our dreams, we associate it with the idea of turning your passion or love of something into your lifetime job career. However, that isn’t always possible or something that someone necessarily wants.
As you fully immerse yourself into work and school, it quickly can become evident that you’re mentally struggling. It’s easy to feel low-energy, burnt out, and emotionally spent. It’s clear that something has to change.
Dream chasing is easily one of the best forms of self care that can lead directly to self-love, as well as newfound confidence in your own abilities. It encourages you to keep moving forward with your own personal growth and development. Also, it keeps you motivated to keep pushing toward one goal to the next.
Chasing your dreams means taking the time to put something you love first. And with that, goal setting and dream chasing both make up important parts of the greater scheme of improving your mental health by doing things you love, even if those things aren’t what you do from day to day at the office.
What is dream chasing?
Dream chasing in this sense refers to making efforts toward a greater personal goal that you have. It can be from an actual dream, something you’ve always wanted to do, or something you thought of on a whim. The important thing, however, is realizing that dream chasing does not always happen easily.
Your passions are passions for a reason; they’re something you have a love for and you want to incorporate them into your life. However, it’s important to acknowledge that dreams aren’t always something you can or should monetize. Acknowledge that turning something you love into a job can draw the life out of the joy you get from doing it.
The most important thing when it comes to dream chasing is knowing what dream you want to make a reality and how to keep that passion you feel strongly when you think about the thing you love.
How to make effective goals
There are tons of strategies out there for setting personal goals. Everyone has their own method of making things achievable for themselves. There is not a one size fits all strategy to make goals that you can realistically obtain. However, there are a couple of things you can do to make sure your goals are effective.
One of the most basic ideas for setting goals is physically making a to do list. Picking up the pen and paper, writing down what you have to start for your dream project, and taking the initiative to start are important in this act. It’s easy to forget a to do list you set up in your notes app on your phone, so try writing your goals down physically and sticking them up somewhere that you see everyday to help you remember.
With a to do list, you need to make sure you are making your to-do items something you can actually get done. The time frame you set out for that to-do list is important. Whether you make your lists daily, weekly, monthly, or otherwise, they have to be realistic. For example, you probably aren’t going to achieve your goal of writing a novel in a week. But, you can feasibly write a word count of 1,000 words in that time.
Another smart strategy you can apply to making goals is setting SMART goals you can use for your to do lists. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-bound (or timely) goals. They turn a simple goal into something you can actually make happen.
While every small step might not be able to be turned into a larger SMART goal, it is beyond important to make sure your goals are something you know how to achieve. Your to do list is just the start of a bigger journey.
How to achieve your dreams and lifetime goals
Once you have the dream you want to come true and a list of ways to get there, you need to do something with them. Fantasizing about what you want to happen isn’t a way to get them to happen. You need self drive and inspiration to get to the goals you have been working so hard in setting.
Now, you should know that it is easy to feel uninspired. Motivation plays a huge factor in making your dreams real. When your mental health is already in a rough place, finding self drive can be hard. There are a ton of ways to combat the lack of motivation you feel.
One of the easiest ways to get inspired is by using Pinterest. You immediately have access to tons of creative avenues. Searching and scrolling for inspiration for your dream project is extremely helpful. Finding things you want to include or methods you want to apply to your own work is good for motivation.
Another great method for inspiration that can help you get to your lifetime goals is going outside. Exposing yourself to different places and seeing new things can spark unexpected ideas for your dream project. Seeing new things spark new thoughts and ideas.
Ultimately, do what you need to feel inspired. You need a reason to do what you’re passionate about. The best way to gain the motivation to start your dream project is finding a reason to be excited about it.
What does dream chasing do for your mental health?
Putting your all into your school work or job is mentally exhausting. You need to set aside time to do something you’re passionate about that isn’t for profit.
Monetizing your passions isn’t something new. There are tons of people who make a space for themselves in the market and make money off their passions. Doing this when you aren’t in the best mental place will only lead to burnout. When you no longer can make things you enjoy without doing it for money, it feels draining.
When you set time out for yourself and your dream project, that time becomes something special. You should give yourself time away from your obligations or responsibilities to work on what you’re passionate about. It makes you excited to come home and work on your passion project.
Your dream project puts whimsy back into your day. It gives you something to look forward to. Just like positive affirmations, when you like what you’re doing, it begins to give you more confidence in what you’re doing. Refining your skills in whatever outlet you choose for your dream project gives pride in your skills and a feeling of confidence. This leads to positive self image and a better overall mental health.
Romanticizing Your Life Outside of Dreams
Not everyone has a passion project inside their heads. And even so, you won’t have time to work on what you love every single day. However, it’s important to find joy in the small things in life even when you aren’t working on chasing your dreams.
Finding things in your every day life to make a little more special does a lot for your joy in the long run. Getting up in the morning can become something to look forward to every day.
Using your morning routine as an opportunity to play music you like is a chance to make your day before it starts. Having afternoon plans to treat yourself is another way to make your life feel fun without having a big project to work on every day.
Solo dates are a great way to romanticize your life, get to know yourself, and feel happy in your every day. Spending time with yourself outside of your passions and other responsibilities helps you feel joy within yourself. You grow confidence in being alone and learn what you like to do when you’re away from the things that take up most of your time.
These solo dates can lead to you realizing what you enjoy, what you want to implement into your every day, and what you feel happy doing. In general, romanticizing your life and treating yourself helps support your mental well being, especially if you don’t have a big passion or hobby.
Concluding thoughts
Sometimes it feels like dreams are always unrealistic. It is easy to wrap yourself up in the big things in life. But the small things you do for yourself are just as important as your day job. This also goes for your passions and dream project.
Finding yourself in a dark place with your mental health is disheartening. Dream chasing is the solution. When you come to realize that you don’t need to sacrifice what you love, putting some time aside for a passion project is worth it. Dream chasing is great for the sake of your mental well being. You deserve to chase your dreams.
