self-coaching: daydreams

Child walking down a tunnel toward light.

Child walking down a tunnel toward light.

High-performing people can actually lose the ability to daydream. You can be so focused on converting every idea into a plan that you forgot how to think about really big ideas – ideas too big to immediately plan for. Daydreaming can seem like frivolous escapism. But big ideas matter. Some of them can be turned into reality, of course. The ones that can’t are still valuable; they point us to our true desires. Most of us can’t act on our every true desire, but if we know what they are we can at least make informed choices. Refusing to recognize why we’re unhappy doesn’t make us any less unhappy.

The self-coaching today isn’t questions. It’s just a few suggestions.

  1. Remember that daydreams have value. They show us something about ourselves, and self-knowledge is inherently valuable.
  2. Try to take some time every day to dream. If you like structure, you could assign it a place in your day. Maybe you daydream in the shower, or during your commute.
  3. Ask other people about their dreams. Don’t strategize or try to add to them. Just listen. It will support them and inspire your own dreams.
Edit