You Should Be Scared!
Your Dreams Should Be Big Enough to Scare You
If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough! Dreams are powerful things. They tug at our hearts, whispering promises of a life filled with excitement, purpose, and passion. Yet, the biggest dreams — those that feel so audacious they make us question our abilities — often feel out of reach, leaving us uncertain and, sometimes, terrified. But here’s the thing: if your dreams don’t scare you, they’re probably not big enough. Embracing fear as a part of the journey is crucial, and here’s how you can start turning those daunting visions into reality.
1. Start With a Clear Vision
To bring your dreams to life, first, you need clarity. If your dream feels murky or undefined, it’s easy for doubt to creep in. Imagine the most daring version of your life. Close your eyes and picture it: what are you doing? Who are you with? What impact are you making? Envisioning your dream with specific, sensory detail makes it more tangible. Write it down, draw it out, or create a vision board — whatever helps to make your dream feel real and within reach.
Action Step: Take a quiet moment to jot down every detail about your dream. Don’t hold back. Write as though every part of it is possible because, surprisingly, much more is achievable than we tend to believe.
2. Why the Fear is Good for You
Dreams that make us sweat a little or keep us up at night are, in many ways, healthy for us. Fear, in this case, is a signal, a signal that we are pushing beyond what feels comfortable. This discomfort is a form of growth, and without it, our lives can easily become stagnant. We’re biologically wired to seek out safety, but breaking out of that zone of predictability is necessary to avoid the slow drift toward a life that feels safe but unfulfilling.
Action Step: Reframe your fear. Recognize that fear can be a guide, pushing you toward something extraordinary. Try writing down what specifically scares you about your dream, and then rewrite those fears as challenges to tackle.
3. The Unknown as a Catalyst for Creativity
When you dare to step into the unknown, you open the doors to creativity. The unknown sparks a need for adaptability, innovation, and resourcefulness. You are forced to find solutions, often in unexpected places. In essence, a scary dream pushes you to become creative because it demands fresh thinking and new strategies. Every time you take a step toward your big dream, you may face a problem you’ve never encountered before, but that’s part of the beauty. The solutions you come up with will be uniquely yours, helping you forge a path that is deeply personal and inspiring.
Action Step: Embrace a “what if?” mindset. Instead of focusing on the ways things could go wrong, ask yourself, “What if I succeed?” or “What if this turns out even better than I imagined?” These questions spark the creativity needed to keep moving forward.
4. Breaking Down the Vision Into Small, Manageable Steps
Big dreams are intimidating because they feel monumental. But every giant leap is made up of smaller, consistent steps. Take the massive vision and break it down into monthly or weekly goals. What can you do today that moves you even a tiny bit closer? By focusing on small steps, you’re not only making your dream more approachable but also reinforcing the belief that it’s possible.
Action Step: Write down three small actions you can take in the next week that will bring you closer to your dream. Whether it’s reaching out to someone, researching a skill, or practicing something new, each small step is a building block toward the larger vision.
5. Recognize and Appreciate the Process
The journey toward a dream that scares you is not a straight line. It’s full of highs, lows, victories, and failures. Accepting that setbacks will happen makes them easier to deal with. Celebrate your progress along the way, no matter how small. It’s not just the end goal that matters but the person you become through the process. Each challenge faced and each obstacle overcome molds you, helping you develop resilience, adaptability, and confidence.
Action Step: Keep a journal specifically for tracking your journey toward your dream. Write down not only your achievements but also your struggles. Over time, this record will become a testament to your growth, a reminder of how far you’ve come.
6. The Risks of Playing It Safe
Living a predictable, “safe” life may feel comfortable, but this comfort often comes at the expense of genuine fulfillment. When we don’t take risks or strive for something bigger, we deny ourselves the chance to experience life fully. A life that doesn’t challenge or excite us tends to lead to a slow accumulation of regret. As time passes, those dreams you didn’t pursue can start to weigh heavily on you, often leading to a feeling that something important has been missed.
Imagine being at the end of your life and reflecting on it with satisfaction and pride, knowing you chased after what you truly wanted. Now imagine the opposite: looking back and realizing you chose safety over fulfillment. It’s a sobering thought, and one that reminds us of the importance of chasing after our dreams, no matter how daunting they may feel.
Action Step: Reflect on what “playing it safe” might cost you in the long run. Write down the potential regrets that could arise if you don’t pursue your dream. This exercise can help highlight the importance of taking the leap.
7. Trust the Timing of Your Life
Manifesting big dreams doesn’t mean they’ll happen overnight. Growth and change take time. But each small step forward is a crucial part of the process. Even when progress feels slow, know that you’re moving in the right direction. Trust the journey and believe that everything you’re doing now is preparing you for the fulfillment of your dream.
Action Step: Whenever you feel discouraged, remind yourself of one small victory you’ve achieved. Keep these small moments close to your heart as reminders that progress is happening, even if it feels gradual.
8. Surround Yourself with People Who Believe in You
The people around you can significantly influence your ability to pursue big dreams. Surrounding yourself with those who encourage, support, and even challenge you is invaluable. Seek out mentors, friends, or peers who share a growth mindset and understand the value of taking risks. The right people will not only lift you up when things get tough but will also hold you accountable, ensuring that you stay on track toward your goals.
Action Step: Take inventory of your inner circle. Are there people in your life who inspire you, push you, or remind you of what you’re capable of? If not, consider joining a group, network, or online community of like-minded individuals who share your ambitions and aspirations.
9. Build Resilience by Embracing Failure as a Teacher
Failure is inevitable on the path to big dreams. But every setback offers a lesson and every challenge strengthens resilience. Instead of viewing failure as a defeat, see it as a stepping stone that brings you closer to success. Each misstep reveals something you didn’t know before and presents a chance to improve. Embracing failure not only builds resilience but also fosters adaptability, allowing you to navigate obstacles with a positive outlook.
Action Step: Reflect on a past failure and identify what it taught you. Write down the lessons you learned and how you might apply them to future challenges. Remember, failure is not a destination but a valuable part of the journey.
10. Cultivate Daily Habits that Support Your Vision
Big dreams require daily commitment. Small, consistent actions compound over time, making the pursuit of your dreams a natural part of your life. By creating habits that align with your goals — whether it’s dedicating time each day to learning, visualizing success, or networking — you establish a steady momentum that keeps you moving forward, even when motivation wanes.
Action Step: Choose one habit that aligns with your big goal and commit to it daily for the next month. Track your progress, and reflect on how incorporating this routine strengthens your commitment and brings you closer to achieving your dream.
Embrace the Fear, Attract the Dream
You see, the dream is already yours because it came from you. So don’t chase your Dream, attract the Experience. In the end, dreams are meant to pull you out of your comfort zone, to stretch you beyond what you thought possible. They’re meant to challenge you, inspire you, and, yes, scare you a little (or even a lot) and to get your adrenaline flowing. But within that fear is the potential for a life rich in meaning and excitement, a life where you are truly alive.
By embracing your fear, breaking down your vision, staying creative in the face of uncertainty, and trusting the process, you give yourself a chance to live a life that fulfills your potential and inspires others to do the same.
Questions to Ponder
- What dream have you held close but dismissed because it felt too big or too daunting?
- In what ways does staying within your comfort zone limit your personal growth and potential?
- How would your life be different if you committed fully to a goal that scares you?
- Are there small fears that, collectively, have kept you from pursuing something larger and more meaningful?
- How might your view of failure change if you saw it as a necessary step on the path to achieving big dreams?
- When was the last time you felt truly challenged, and how did that experience change you?
- How do you think embracing fear could improve your resilience, creativity, or adaptability?
- What would be more difficult to live with: the fear of failing or the regret of never trying?
- If achieving your big, scary goal was guaranteed to inspire and positively impact others, would it change your willingness to pursue it?
- How can stepping into the unknown bring out skills, strengths, or perspectives you might not discover otherwise?
These questions are meant to inspire you to look within and understand why setting and pursuing a big audacious goal is a transformative and essential part of your personal growth.
A few words from Dunican
