Daydreaming: Indolence or inspiration?

“Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate accomplishments.”

— Napoleon Hill

As we worship the gods of BiggerBetterFaster at the Temple of High Octane Achievement,  there seems to be little room for anything as unproductive and slow-paced as daydreaming.

But that's a short-sighted and, ultimately, self-limiting perspective. It's a little like being so busy that you don't have time to stop to eat. In the short-run you can do it, but in the long-run it's going to put a damper on your potential.

I started pondering the role of daydreams in M.A.P. Making after reading a post at I will change your life. As Peter points out, daydreaming can be a double-edged sword. It can be the beginning of something wonderful, or it can keep you good and stuck.

Ultimately, whether it is indolence or inspiration depends on you. Stop for a minute and think about your daydreams. What role do they play in your life? Are they planting seeds for amazing things in your future, or are they just something for you to focus on while you avoid taking action? Do they open doors, or are they just another installment in an endless tail-chasing loop?

Of course, we all have daydreams that never become reality. There's nothing wrong with that. But when our daydreams become an avoidance tactic for actually moving forward, then they deserve that bad rap they've gotten.

Try this. For the next month, pay attention to your daydreams. You might even start a daydream journal to keep track of them. Then look back over those daydreams and ask yourself, "Where is my future?"

You don't have to turn all of your daydreams into future reality, but if you ignore them completely you're selling yourself short. Somewhere in those daydreams are nuggets of possibility you can start to act on. And taking action is the first step in the alchemy of turning those dreams into the substance of your everyday life.

Check out The Occupational Adventure Guide

Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst ^TM