Do you feel like you’re reliving the same day over and over instead of getting to live your dreams? And do you feel like you’re living a mind-numbing existence?
Moreover, life’s dreams offered the promises of happiness and fulfillment. But these are now left dumped on the shelf. The memory of them has fogged over with the passage of time.
And your dull daily routine buries them further into obscurity. It’s only the odd pang of regret that keeps their pulse beating.
But it isn’t too late to change or actualize your potential and live your dreams. There’s still time to get out of the rut and put those long-fingered plans into action. All it takes is believing that you’re worthy of change. And that you’ve got the right to make your dreams come true.
But you have to reclaim your mojo if you’re to smile at life’s purpose again. And you can’t do it alone. Invite Jesus into your life in a deeper way and allow Him to give you the necessary spiritual transfusion. Find meaning and purpose through Jesus and His will for you.
The Rut Withers Your Want for Living Your Dreams
While a daily routine has its merits, it can also drag you down. Routine by its nature is repetitive – doing the same things day in, day out. It can become staid and boring. This is true of home or work life. It can also include what you do in your free time if there’s not enough variety.
Paradoxically, your routine can be the fog that obscures your dreams when it’s supposed to create a secure space for you to explore them. So, your routine can hold you back.
It can also be due to a misunderstanding of what a routine is for. A routine is meant to:
- Offer a structure for daily living
- Provide stability
- Help you feel safe
- Help you develop good habits
- Leave you free to develop habits that help meet your goals
But a routine loses its meaning when you lose sight of why you’re doing it. Or if you experience it as boring and burdensome.
So make sure you review your routine. Reflect on it and you’ll rediscover its meaning. And you might find that all you need to do is tweak it here and there to inject more life into it. This is the first step to living your dreams.
You could argue that Jesus is at the center of your daily routine and that He is the most important person in your life, so why are you still having these difficulties? But then it’s okay to vary your routine if that’s what will help put pazazz back into your daily life and spiritual life, too.
Varying Your Routine Shakes Up Your Thinking
Your routine can create a dichotomy of thought. On the one hand, human beings don’t like change. Routine creates a comfort zone and so you can view change as threatening. But you also like variety – all things new.
So, solve this dichotomy by steering the middle ground. You don’t have to make drastic changes like changing your job or moving to another city. Just make small changes to your routine. And the quirkier the better.
Let those changes be fun. Here are a few examples:
- Talk to yourself in a funny voice when you feel out of sorts
- Brush your teeth while you’re in the shower
- Take a different route to work – a change of environment is stimulating
- If you drive, take public transport on occasion and read a book
- Invest in staff nights out together
- Take a mental health day and sleep till midday
One idea that’s lots of fun is buying a pet and sharing your dreams with it. Yes, talk to it and even read it a bedtime story.
Dogs especially love that kind of chat. And doing it in a funny pitched voice will have them wagging their tails and licking your face.
These kinds of actions help you free up your thinking and can open your mind to take risks. This is important if you want to believe you’re worth making changes for.
This is reminiscent of that L’Óreal advert. Its caption is: You’re worth it! But those words make it so memorable because they’re true. So jump in, and don’t be afraid. Your dreams will start to knock on the door of your mind and you’ll want to make the changes necessary to realize them.
And don’t get caught up in negative thinking. Stay positive and be determined to live out your dreams.
You can use your favorite Bible quotes to help with this. Stand in the Word of God and use them when discouraged, fearful, angry, confused – you get the picture.
I love the story of Jesus walking on the water, rebuking the wind, and restoring calm. ‘It is I, do not be afraid,’ Jesus said to the fearful Apostles (Jn 6:20). You could picture this event and pray those words of Jesus if afraid.
Reflecting Awakens Your Want for Living Your Dreams
When I reflected on my life several years back, I remembered my interest in writing from years ago. This was the beginning of my blog writing adventure. I’m part-time at the minute but hope to be full-time by the end of 2021.
Realizing how stagnant my life had become nudged me into reflecting and taking action. So being in a rut or feeling unfulfilled isn’t the enemy. It’s doing you a favor by providing you with the opportunity to reawaken your dreams and make them a reality.
And reawaken them with Jesus. Invite Him in and let Him guide you.
The only enemy here is yourself if you don’t go for it. And again, there’s no need to take drastic steps. Take time to make changes, but first with your routine.
When you’re feeling more alive in your routine the fog of boredom and sameness dissipates. Your dreams are then free to re-emerge and gladden your heart.
It’s then that you can develop a plan for bigger changes and be more able to consistently execute each part of it. Living your dreams will then become a reality.
And again, you don’t need to explore and realize this by yourself. Jesus wants you to explore and develop your potential. In fact, He expects you to use and develop your gifts which is part of you bringing your dreams to life.
Similarly, time spent in prayer and meditation can help with this. And any inspiration you may experience could well be the stirring of the Holy Spirit.
You know full well the importance of dreams in Sacred Scripture. How Daniel understood all manner of dreams and visions, how Saint Joseph was warned in a dream to save the Holy Family from Herod to name but two instances.
So allow God in and let Acts 2:17 come alive for you:
‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.’
Yes, the Holy Spirit can also work in your daily life, amidst your daily routine and help influence your dreams, inspire you in them.
Feel like Taking the Plunge – Go for It!
If you’re one of the more ambitious types wondering what all the fuss is about, then make change more challenging for yourself.
Actively look for challenges. You’re probably the type of person who leaps first and looks second. It won’t take much to nudge you in the right direction. After yawning and stretching your way out of mundane living, you’ll be ready to live your dreams.
But, if you’re strong-headed you might tend to disregard suggestions. Allow me to make one all the same. It will propel you forward:
Find a mentor or an accountability partner.
You’ll find that a mentor or accountability partner will make suggestions. They’ll challenge and help you develop your skillset. Likewise, you could provide the same support for your accountability partner.
But where do you find one?
If the changes you’re making concern work, then involve a colleague. If it’s more to do with home life or your free time, then why not ask a Christian friend or family member.
The great thing is there’s no need for a life coach. So you don’t have to pay anyone. And if your mentor or accountability partner is a fellow Christian then you could pray together, asking the Lord’s guidance for the way ahead.
Changes Embraced to Live Your Dreams
Let’s be honest – in today’s world we like a lot of diversity. We easily tire of what we have and look for the next distraction, the new gadget, the latest technology.
Many of us now don’t stay in the same job all our working life the way our parents and grandparents did. And we not only change jobs more often, but we also make career shifts, too.
Often, though, it’s the uncomfortable emotions around change that you need to deal with. And even when you know that change is necessary, healthy and good for you. But you can use that to your advantage.
Reflect on the small changes you made to your routine and you’ll see how it boosts your confidence. In turn, this provides the necessary courage to make bigger changes. Fear then dissipates and you push forward to make your dreams come true.
And there’s no need to stay with the fear anyway. Accept that it’s there and tap into the excitement that change arouses. Let that be what fuels you. Let that reinforce your decision until the desired outcome is realized.
And remember Jesus words, too:
‘It is I, do not be afraid,” (Jn 6:20).
You are never alone!
And so…
We all get stuck in a rut sometimes. It can be hard to get out of, and fear, uncertainty and our limited thinking can hold us back.
But so can following a routine which has become boring and lost its meaning.
When your routine no longer serves you well, it’s time for a change. Likewise, varying your routine often makes a difference and helps add to the zest for life.
Remember to invite Jesus into the situation and don’t go it alone. Keep God’s will in mind while exploring and deciding on the changes you want or need to make.
Additionally, shaking up your routine and reflecting on life is helpful. Done together, they restore your mojo and reawaken your dreams. It is then you have the courage to make the changes you want in your life. It helps create space for you to live out your dreams.
Likewise, asking for guidance from the Holy Spirit can play a big part in this. He is the great shaker of houses, like at Pentecost. Let Him in shake and reawaken your dreams.
And the most important matter is not to stay stagnated or you’ll live a life of regret. So use the change in your daily routine to help awaken the necessary resolve to take charge of your dreams.
Take the plunge!
