As a certified “Big Dreamer” myself, I know that our lives aren’t all daydreams of rainbows and unicorns. While we do tend to be more optimistic and open-minded, we definitely carry a mental load of our own. Being a big dreamer comes with its own unique set of challenges, even outside of actually making our dreams a reality! Here are 15 everyday struggles of the big dreamer.
1. Managing Expectations
When your dreams are big…chances are, your expectations will match that energy. Sometimes it can be hard to accept that the rest of the world didn’t get the memo you dreamed up…it’s really an unfortunate reality. Big dreamers have to work a little bit harder to manage their expectations to match the lives they actually live.
2. Having poor time management
You’re not really sure what happened. One minute it was 10 AM and you were filling out expense reports, then you started thinking about a version of the Eras Tour you’d like to produce one day. Then it was noon. It’s easy to lose ourselves in our daydreams, forgetting that we do, unfortunately, have other things to do.
3. Procrastinating
It’s not that you’re lazy. It’s just that sometimes our regular lives feel so boring in comparison to our dreams. When you’re planning the housewarming party for your dream three-story, newly renovated (yet true to the character) Spanish villa near the beach, sometimes it’s really hard to make yourself mop the linoleum in your one-bedroom apartment.
4. Worrying about Money
The problem with big dreams is that they (usually) require lots of money to achieve. Especially if you want to achieve them quickly—it can be really frustrating, having to work 40 hours a week, barely afford your bills, and then still try and set money aside so that one day you can do the thing you actually want to do. It sucks, but hang in there!
5. Having Minimal Support
This varies by individual person and individual big dreams, but often big dreamers find themselves lacking in support. Some of this is natural and normal (like parents not allowing you to live at home while you await a record deal), but some of it really just is mean-spirited. Whatever the reason, it can still sting. It’s hard to feel like you’re the only one making the operation happen.
6. Relying on a safety net
On the one hand, you probably have bills to pay. But on the other…is your “safety net” (aka your day job) keeping you stuck? It’s really easy to get complacent when there’s no real pressure. Is the lack of pressure, the lowering of the stakes, keeping you from chasing after your dreams? Try to switch up your mindset: decide to see your safety net as a tool. See it as the thing that allows you to chase your dreams (without having to move back in with Mom and Dad).
7. Fearing Failure
Because what happens if you do fail? Do you just go the rest of your life knowing that you didn’t achieve your dreams? Full of regret? It’s heavy stuff, but that’s what goes through the head of a big dreamer. It’s emotionally exhausting, that kind of mental pressure. But remember, you can’t let yourself get paralyzed by that fear!
8. Picking Just One Dream
If you’re a big dreamer by nature, chances are you may not have just one big dream. Maybe you want to own a publishing company, but also a bookstore, and also write a book…and maybe one day you can do it all! That would be incredible. But sometimes we have to pick one thing at a time, and it can be difficult to know which route to start on first.
9. Having Follow-Through
Sometimes our dreams are bigger than our means to follow through and finish them. And that can be disheartening! It can cause a blow to your self-esteem. But don’t automatically assume you’re lazy, flaky, or something bad. Maybe that wasn’t the dream for you. Maybe it was just one of many, and you’ve yet to find the one that gives you that feeling of purpose.
10. Cultivating a Work-Life Balance
Burnout happens easily for big dreamers, especially when you’re actively working to achieve those dreams! Between your day job and the side hustling to make those dreams a reality, you can get really exhausted really fast. There’s nothing wrong with seasons of harder work, but remember to take care of yourself as much as possible!
11. Feeling like an imposter
You may worry that you’re just a dreamer. That you don’t actually have what it takes to live your dreams. But that’s a lie! It’s imposter syndrome, not a valid commentary on you as a person. You have it in you. If you want to do it badly enough and are willing to put in the work, you can do it. I believe in you!
12. Feeling isolated
The life of a big dreamer can be isolating. You feel like your friends and family don’t understand you. You see how your life and your aspirations look different than theirs, and maybe even start second-guessing yourself. But remember: being different, and even misunderstood, is not inherently bad. In fact, it’s what makes you unique. We can’t have progress in the world without unique, big dreamers such as yourself.
13. Feeling like there’s no progress
Sometimes it feels like you take one step forward and three steps back. You had the eureka! moment in your startup strategy! But you’re having trouble finding the funding. This non-linear journey can be incredibly frustrating. It can make it easy to give up. But hold onto the times you take one step forward! They’ll give you the hope and the motivation you need to keep going!
14. Facing Rejection
At certain points, many of our dreams become dependent (to an extent) on other people. Record labels, literary agents, loan officers, etc. And sometimes, before we hear a “yes,” we get really used to hearing “no.” It’s discouraging, for sure, but a no doesn’t mean it’s the end! As long as you have fight left in you, there’s hope!
15. Staying Grounded
With your head in the clouds, it’s important to keep your feet from following. While you should absolutely dream big, and follow those dreams, you have to stay grounded. You have to remember the people who love you. Remember to care for yourself. Remember to take small steps. Staying grounded means staying motivated. Grounded is sustainable. And sustainability makes things happen!
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