Dream Beyond Your Abilities

“To accomplish great things, we must dream as well as act.” — Anatole France

Have you ever had a big dream that seemed so overwhelming that you didn’t even know where to begin?

We all have dreams that inspire us and push us to achieve more, but sometimes those dreams can be so big that they actually hold us back.

When we dream beyond our abilities, we can become intimidated, paralyzed, or simply unsure of where to start.

That’s why it’s so important to chunk our dreams down into smaller, more manageable pieces that we can take action on.

By doing so, we can turn our big dreams into achievable goals, build momentum, and make real progress toward the life we want to live.

In this way, chunking our dreams down isn’t just a practical approach to achieving success – it’s a powerful mindset shift that can help us overcome fear, doubt, and uncertainty and take action toward the life we truly desire.

In the book, The Heart to Start, David Kadavy shares how to use your dreams for inspiration not your own intimidation.

Dream Beyond Your Abilities for Inspiration

Dreaming big is how we inspire and explore the art of the possible.

Kadavy writes:

“Dreaming beyond your abilities can be a valuable motivator.  The legendary stunt performer Evel Knievel built his career on a big vision.

Every chance he got, he’s tell people that he was going to jump over the Grand Canyon on a motorcycle.

Meanwhile, he’s jump over rows of trucks or over the fountain at Caesar’s Palace.

Throughout his career, he used his dream as a landmark on the horizon.,

He became a cultural sensation and made millions of dollars-even though he never did jump over the Grand Canyon.”

But Big Dreams Can Go from Inspiring to Intimidating

The challenge is, when we dream beyond our abilities, our dreams can go from inspiring us to intimidating.

Kadavy writes:

“When I was ten, I told my mother I was going to write a book. My mother slipped her electric typewriter out of its plastic cover, placed it on the end of the dining room table, and silently left the room.

‘Once upon a time,’ I wrote. I stopped to think of what to type next. The weight of this herculean task bore down upon me.

I pictured a giant stack of paper smacking down into the white tablecloth.

That would be what, a hundred pages?

And here, I couldn’t get past the first page.

Heck, I couldn’t get past the first line.

Suddenly, the idea of playing with blocks sounded more appealing. I quietly hoisted myself down from the chair and abandoned the whirring typewriter.”

The Fortress Fallacy

It you want to build a giant fortress, it’s going to be tough, if you’ve never laid a single brick.

You might have a vivid vision in your mind and see it clearly, but when you go to actually create your fortress, reality is going to push back against your current abilities and experience.

Kadavy writes:

“Years later, I still make this same mistake from time to time, and I see it in nearly every aspiring creator that I talk to. When we went out to do something, we naturally picture something big and grand, even if we have no experience at all.

I call this the Fortress Fallacy, because it’s as if we imagine that we will build a giant fortress when we’ve never laid a single brick in our lives.

We want to open a Michelin-star restaurant, but we still haven’t gone past microwave nachos.

We want to write a novel, but we’ve never written anything longer than a quick email.

We want to direct a feature film, but we’ve never tried anything beyond posting a video of our cat on Facebook.”

Dream Big, but Start Small

Start with small steps in the directions of your dreams.

Kadavy writes:

“To overcome the Fortress Fallacy, all you have to do is recognize that you tend to dream beyond your current abilities. Don’t let your own dream intimidate you into not starting or lead you into burnout when you do start.

Instead, like Evel Knievel’s dram of jumping over the Grand Canyon, let your dream be a guide.

Like Hugh MacLeod’s business-card doodles, start small, and over time, you’ll build closer and closer to that dream.

Dream of the Michelin-star restaurant but start with a dinner party. Dream of a novel but start with a short story. Dream of a feature film but start with a short film.

Instead of building a fortress, start with a cottage.”

Have Big Dreams.  You’ll Grow into Them.

Don’t limit your dreams. Empower your actions.

No dream is too big.  You can always chunk it down.

Dreaming big is an important part of achieving your goals and living a fulfilling life.

However, it’s equally important to break those big dreams down into smaller, manageable steps that you can take action on.

By chunking your dreams down, you can avoid becoming overwhelmed, intimidated, or paralyzed by the enormity of your goals.

Instead, you can focus on taking one step at a time, building momentum, and making progress toward your dreams.

So go ahead and dream big, but don’t forget to break those dreams down and take action today.

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