What to Do When You’re Not a Dreamer

January is a season of goal setting, resolution making, dream creating. Though we all know there is nothing inherently special about the flip to a new calendar year, there is something significant about the newness of a new year. And a new month. And even a new day. A new year feels significant, so many of us spend the week between Christmas and New Year’s pondering goals, establishing resolutions, and dreaming dreams for the new year. There is nothing wrong with any of these things. And I believe as good stewards of what God has given us, we should think wisely about our days ahead – what will we do with our money? How will we steward our bodies to be more like the temple they are? How will we relate to the people in our families and our friends? All. So. Important.

But what do you do if you aren’t a dreamer? What if you have a hard time setting goals? What if you don’t make resolutions because you are one of the ones (the many) who they fall away in just a few short weeks?

That’s me.

I love to flip a calendar and I love to have a whole month of cleanness and begin to write down the upcoming events. I love the idea of newness and I love the ethereal idea of goal setting and dreaming. But I don’t feel like I’m good at any of it (outside of filling up my color coded calendar!).

I’ve joked with my friends that last year I was sent into a bit of a life crisis when I realized I don’t dream well. I have passed all the natural check points of dreaming – high schoolers dream of college, college students dream of either grad school or a first job, twenty somethings dream of marriage, young marrieds dream of babies or home renovations or large purchases. I’ve passed the college and grad school stage. I have been in the same job for almost a decade. And though I do have dreams of marriage and children – they are “one day” dreams. So how do you (I) dream for this new slate of days in 2019?

Seek the Lord.

It is never trite or wrong to seek the Lord when we encounter hard things. He’s faithful and kind. And he will be in our dreaming and our goal writing and our resolution making. Ask him in. Ask him to be a part of your next day and next month and next year. I know he will meet you and join you and guide your steps. He did it for me.

Start Small.

I’ve found that I’m not a great dreamer in and of myself and feel like the Lord has asked me to think less about the whole year, and more in “short sighted” dreaming. What do I want to accomplish this month? What book(s) do I want to finish? Who do I want to pursue? It seems more manageable in this season, to start small and think through a shorter amount of time.

Get in Community.

I can’t say it enough. Get around people who are like minded, people who dream, and around people who challenge you and who believe in you and who help you. Being sharpened by the people around you will heal your heart and allow you safe space to begin to dream. In addition, watching others dream and write goals will probably help you with at least some ideas.

You can do this! Plus, God’s got you. He knows the days ahead of you. He knows where your heart longs to be and where your calendar just won’t line up. He’s the giver of dreams – and he won’t let you flounder. He is in yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is kind toward us, even when we aren’t great at dreaming.