When did you last allow yourself time to dream?
We’ve come up with a tactic that helps us focus on what’s important in our lives and what can wait until later: We run away from home. Not for long, of course - just long enough to give us perspective. For us, that means driving over to the coast of Maine for lunch. It’s a two-hour trip and we accomplish more in that time than we ever would during the same two hours at home. We take turns driving along the back roads and it’s amazing how the peaceful ride away from all distractions can get our creative juices going.
We head for Barnacle Billy’s in Ogunquit and sit on the deck overlooking the harbor. Often we end up talking about our lives. We think about what’s working and what’s not. We make lists of pros and cons about what we might want to change. Dreaming about how to improve the quality of our life is how we ended up spending summers in Vermont and winters in Anguilla. We gave ourselves the luxury of time to think about what we really wanted to do.
Figure out where you could go for a day of dreaming. Think about having a great lunch in a casual place where you can linger. (Good food really does help the process!) Take some time getting there, too. Let your mind wander around the thought of what really makes you happy. Allow yourself to think about change. If some aspect of your life was modified, how would that affect you?
You’ll find that if you indulge yourself with a day of dreaming, it won’t be time wasted. It’s the first step to a life filled with passion and enthusiasm - not to mention some memorable meals along the way.
