There are developmental stages for growth such as childhood, adolescence, adulthood and late adulthood. As a grad student in Counseling Psychology, I’m pretty familiar with them. Yet, I didn’t realize that the growing continues even while pursuing your dreams.
I came up with my own version specifically for those following their dreams. Here are the life stages of dreaming according to me:
Infancy: The birth of your dreams. This early stage is all about discovering who you are and what you want to do with the rest of your life. It can come at any age (age is truly just a number here) and can inspire great change.
Childhood: The fun part. So you’ve quit that life draining 9 to 5 and bought the business cards. This stage is all about play, exploring and delving deeper into the best parts of living your dreams.
Adolescence: Reality hits. Rebellion sets in. Questions such as, “What did I do?” And, “Should I really have quit my day job?” keeps you up at night. You start to doubt yourself and your decisions. Or you begin to ask deeper questions such as, “What kind of writer do I want to be?” This stage is necessary for discovering your true purpose, getting you clear about what specifically you want to do and how you will get there. It also helps you gain courage, strength and self-motivation. You’ll need it.
Adulthood: You feel more confident, have more freedom and you are beginning to revel in the fruits of your labor. Yet, there are still challenges up ahead. You’re just better prepared.
Later adulthood: You’ve got the experience, the success and stay ability to know that you can fulfill your dreams. At this point, you may have returned to infancy many times, pursuing various other new dreams. You may also have a strong desire to help others by using your business, skills and experience to mentor or assist them in fulfilling their own dreams.
What stage of dreaming are you on?
