Stop Dreaming

I just finished reading Year of Yes by Shonda Rimes. This is a funny and interesting take on what happens when you stop saying no to everything offered you. One section of the book that has really stuck with me is her commencement speech at Dartmouth delivered in 2014 titled Dreams Are For Losers.

Now, I am not going to rehash the entire speech as I think it is valuable enough (and short enough) for you, dear reader, to find and read (or you could do as I did and just pick up her book and give it a read). But, her advice is spot on and something I needed to hear right now. Stop talking about your dreams and start doing something to make them happen.

It all boils down to the question: Do you want to die with unfulfilled dreams or do you want to spend your life doing everything in your power to make those dreams come true? The world has enough dreamers who do nothing more than constantly talk about their dreams. This world really needs people who are going to roll up their sleeves and toil to make things happen.

Which are you?

I Don't Have Time

"I don't have time." I am sick of this excuse. I am tired of hearing it and I am tired of uttering it. "I don't have time" has become a fall-back excuse to cover for not doing something you should do or something you want to do. We act as if our days are filled with millions of things we have to do and we just can't seem to fit in the others. Can we all agree right now to stop using "I don't have time" as an excuse?

The real excuse is we don't make the time to do whatever it is we should do. If we truly want to do something-exercise, write, learn a new language or skill, read more, cook more-we have to make the time to do it. We have to give up watching so much television. We have to get up an hour earlier or go to bed an hour later. We have to spend our lunch break doing it. We can make the time, if we really want to. When you say you don't have the time, what you really mean is watching TV or sleeping or anything else is more important than what you supposedly want to do.

Stop. Quit making excuses. If you want to write, then make time to write. If you want to learn Spanish, then make time to learn Spanish. If you want to stop eating out all the time and instead want to cook more, then make time to cook. If you want to exercise, then make time to exercise. Very, very few of us are so busy every second of every day that we can't set aside thirty minutes to an hour to do the things we claim we want to do.

Is it going to be easy? No, but very few things worth doing are easy. I don't always want to work out, but I make the time each day to do some sort of exercise, even if it is just walking between buildings at work when I could drive. I don't always feel like writing a blog post, but I set time aside to make sure I sit down in front of the computer and produce something. After a long day at work, I don't always feel like making something healthy for dinner. Sometimes I don't, but many times I will force myself to just start cooking.

Starting is the key. If you start doing something, you are more likely to keep doing it than you were if you didn't start. Try it this week. If you want to exercise, then do it while you are watching TV. If you want to cook more, then find some recipes, go to the store for ingredients and plan to cook when you get home. Then, when you get home, start cooking. If you want to write more, then make time each day to sit down and write. To do the things you say you want to do, you have to take control of your schedule and make sure you have time set aside to do them. Sometimes you will have to give up something to accomplish what you want to do. You just have to decide what you want more...an hour of sleep or an hour of writing. Sitting in front of the TV or exercise. Eating unhealthy fast food or a nice, healthy, home-cooked meal.

The good things in life take work and a little bit of sacrifice. Next week, are you going to remember what happened on that mindless TV show or are you going to remember that amazing meal you cooked? Which matters more to you? Do you want to do what you say you want to do or do you want to remain stagnant, doing what you have always done? Either you want to make the time or you don't. Just stop saying you don't have time because we all know you're full of shit. Figure out how to find the time or stop saying you want to do something. If you really want to do it, you'll find the time.