Dreamwork Means Work!
How many times have you heard, “Follow your dream?” I think I have heard it more from myself than from others telling me. After being at the dream for a long time I realize its more to the dream that just saying follow your dream. It’s more than just your passion for the idea that rests on your heart and mind. Recently I have been coming to terms with the fact passion is the spark for the dream. Without a plan, consistency sprinkled with a whole lotta work, the dream stays just that..a dream. I’m learning everyday I have to silence the noise, work in the dark sometimes alone and dig in so I can see the dreams of the 8 year old Jee come true. Maybe you are like me needing that push or even a bit of direction to know how you can’t closer to your dream. I am sharing what I am currently doing maybe you can use these as well.
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Passion is most certainly needed on your journey to the dream. Think about it the passion gets you fired up, makes your heart race for the thinks you love to do. Only thing is it only carries you so far. Since being a little girl I used to go at things head on, no plan just out there doing stuff never adding up the cost until I realized the plan is a necessary step in execution. Your dream will require you to sit down, be still and make a plan. Be clear on what you want. Making a route on how you want to get there. Set actionable goals and mapping out a step-by-step strategy day to day for yourself. You never want to be just a talker about your dream you gotta learn how to lean into making it happen. Today, take time to write down your goals, set a deadline, it doesn’t have to be perfect, just start with your plan. Picture your plan being the road map on a road trip. It will help you navigate where you are going. Be willing to be flexible with your plan. It won’t be perfect just continue to move through the tough moments and enjoy the wins along the way.
Back when I first started Girl Be You I was on top of it. I had passion, zeal, and a fresh love for what I was doing. I remember being so on top of my weekly entries sharing so much of what I had going on. In hindsight I wish I would have just kept at it, I would have been closer to my personal internal goal. When I think like that I am reminded it is consistency that is the secret sauce to the dream. Consistency is what sets you apart from those who are dreaming and those who achieve the dream. Consistency is a major key to seeing the dream come to past. It’s about showing up day after day, when things are hard, and the progress seems to be beyond slow. I had personal moments when I set aside the consistency in showing up for Girl Be You. I felt and still sometimes feel like no one is seeing this, no one is really being impacted. I can just do something else. When I sit it down I have more of that passion stirring in me, which takes me back to the plan then leaves me face to face with the work. I realize it is my consistency to doing the work that will make it happen. I have to stand in the mirror to remind myself that nothing comes overnight, I have to be be willing to put in the time. Even if that is when I am frustrated, tired, and tempt to give up completely. Consistency builds momentum, taking the tiny steps will eventually start to look like giant leaps. When you keep at the work, the immediate results may not be seen. Keep building, keep laying the bricks.
Dreamwork means work. The reality is we don’t get to dodge the work that must be done. When you make the choice to go towards your dream it will require late nights, early mornings and sometimes countless hours of work to invest in your vision. When. There is a concept of a ROI, Return On Investment. This can be used when you think about your dream. Your time of chipping away at work of your dream is your investment, when you see the results big or small is your return. My question to you is what investment do you make daily to your investment? How big of an investment are you willing to make for YOU? Every step, every failure, and every lesson learned is bringing you closer to where you want to be.. The work isn’t something you can avoid so you might as well embrace it. The work towards your dream is what shapes, strengthens and prepares you for the success that is coming your way. Take a bet on yourself, roll up your sleeves and get comfortable with doing the work, it’s part of the process.
It took me such a long time to admit I am a complete perfectionist. This attribute has left me never writing, posting or sharing my content because in my mind it was never good enough. It didn’t compare to what I was seeing already being shared. Now that thought process is completely insane, cause I should never be like everyone else, I should just be me! At any rate waiting for perfection to be the goal you will never make any progress. What’s important here is the progress towards the dream not perfection. If you are waiting for everything to be perfect before you celebrate progress you are wrong. Here’s a spoiler alert for you; perfection doesn’t exist. The work of your dream isn’t about the big wins, it’s about showing up, acknowledging the small victories along the way. Every step you take towards your dream deserves to be celebrated. Do me a favor, look back on where you started. Now recognize how far you’ve come. Girl, you are doing the work. It could be a new skill, you reached a milestone or you are consistently showing up when you didn’t feel you could. Celebrate your progress it’s proof your hard work is paying off.
I read a book by Simon Sinek, Start with Why it’s probably one of my favorite books. I read this a few years ago he talks about the idea of finding your WHY and always keeping that as your focus. Listen the work you are doing towards your dream isn’t glamorous, it isn’t always fun, it can be grueling, it can even be lonely. So you need to have a reason for WHY you keep going at it. Your WHY is the reason you started chasing the dream anyway right? Your WHY is the fire that fuels your passion. Your dream is holding on the the vision you have for yourself when it gets tough. I started Girl Be You as a space to build community, inspire black girls and women to believe and live their most authentic life. I want to always share my stories of overcoming, falling down and getting back up to help other girls and women see it is possible. When the weight of the work is hard and motivation starts running low your, “WHY” is what will give you your second wind to keep going. There have been many days before even writing this blog that I have wanted to just walk away from it all. Then I hear a whisper of 8 -year old Jee say, “I believe in you.” “You can do this!” I wipe my tears, dust myself off and get back to it!
Dreamwork isn’t just about dreaming, it’s about doing! Showing up, putting in the effort, reminding yourself of your WHY, refusing to settle until you see the dream become a reality.
If you’re willing to put in the work, there’s nothing you can’t achieve. Dream big, work hard, and most importantly—Girl, Be You.
If this resonated with you, share it with someone who needs a reminder that their dreams are worth the work. Until next time, keep dreaming, keep grinding, and keep showing up for your future self.
Until Next Time,
Girl Be You!