Follow Your Dreams

I believe in always keeping an eye out for signs. And this one showed up right in front of my face just yesterday – Follow Your Dreams:

Follow Your Dreams

{This isn’t an actual photo of the sign. I made this graphic using a photo I took on vacation. But, I still wanted to pass the message on to you guys.}

I’m at the beach taking my first vacation of the year. I’ve been hoarding my vacation days, and I’m so ready to cash some in. The plan: spend a few glorious days at the beach with my family. On the agenda: eat good food, relax, sleep, think, rest, read books, veg out, chill, cook, and dream. I also brought along a couple books to get my wheels spinning on some analysis (on the blog and myself, mostly). Times like this where my mind isn’t so cluttered with work problems and what not from the daily grind are great for planning and soul-searching.

Anywho, this quote is something that I currently find both highly motivating and frustrating at the same time. I love hearing success stories of people who have followed their dreams, and I hope to have a success story of my own to share one day. My current dilemma is that in order to follow your dreams, you have to know what they are, and many of mine aren’t fully defined at the moment. I’ve always been a very goal-driven person, especially growing up. There were many levels of goals to work towards when I was training as a figure skater, and I was also very driven in school. But, my goals have gotten a little hazy since then.

What do you want to be when you grow up? I haven’t figured this out, though I do know at a high level that I want to live this: “Do what you love, love what you do.” Some other high level guidelines that motivate me are: to help others, make the world a better place than I found it, and lift those around me.

And though I may not have the big picture fully figured out, I have some small goals in mind.

One thing I’ve been wanting to do for awhile is create a web site to help people like me (and maybe you!?) find local restaurants that may have any or all of the following: support local farmers, use organic ingredients, are eco-friendly, use non-GMO ingredients, etc. I believe this site would help not just the locavores or organic eaters, but small business owners and farmers, too. I think about this site all the time when I’m looking for a new restaurant to check out in town or when I’m on vacation. In fact, this site/app would have been extremely useful on my current vacation. Why doesn’t this site exist yet so I can use it? Oh right, because I haven’t made it yet. Slacker.

Seriously, I blame much of my progress on lack of time, but if I’m being honest, I think I have a common problem that many of us face – fear of failure. I’ve done so much (educated myself, networked, attended conferences, and more), and yet something holds me back. I thought it was time for awhile, but the fear of failing makes a lot of sense.

So, what’s next? Get over the fear and get going. It’s easier said than done, but taking small steps will help.

Whoever wants to reach a distant goal must take small steps.

~Saul Bellow

It’s time to get over the fear. To think positively. To take steps, no matter how small, towards the end goal. It’s time to heed the sign: Follow Your Dreams.

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Do you think you’d be interested in using a web site/app to find local restaurants in your home town or when you’re traveling? I’d love to chat more! Leave me a comment or shoot me an email at thechiclife at gmail dot com.

Thanks for stopping by!

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