“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” C.S. Lewis

I love this quote, and it is so true! I think a lot of people believe you have to decide your future the minute you leave high school and that whatever future you decide at that crucial moment is what you have to do for the rest of your life.

For some people that is what happens. For those who want to be doctors, lawyers, politicians… the “long-haul” jobs. But even those jobs don’t have to be completely long-haul. (Of course, once you spend that much money on education, you kind of have to stick with it for a while.)

One of my dreams - My farm
(which is also home to my dance studio)

I guess my main message is going out to those young adults - those getting ready to graduate high school or those recent grads, who still aren’t sure what to do with their lives. Heck, I’m almost 30, and I’m still looking for new things to do! Just because you choose an interest or direction when you jump into the “real world” doesn’t mean you’re stuck with that for the rest of your life. If you like your decision, great! But if you find yourself searching for more, then search! There’s no harm in that.

No one ever said “One person has to have ONE dream.” Dream many dreams!!! I own a dance studio. I am a writer. I own a small farm. I own a small web design business. I coach sports at my local high school. I’ll do just about anything that interests me. I even had a recent small stint in massage therapy.

Another cool dream coming true - Road tripping from a
 clogging performance in PA with my Sundance Express girls

Or if you’re involved in a career you just aren’t happy in, re-evaluate your life, your dreams, and your goals. You may have to make some lifestyle changes to pursue your dreams, but (in my opinion) we only get one life to live! Why not go for it?!

Keep yourself open! Life is way to short to tie yourself down to one dream; however I will throw out this piece of cautious advice: If you get too many dreams on your plate, then you’ll just end up spinning your wheels. One or two goals at a time. MAYBE three if you’re a really organized person, but anymore than that and you’ll likely be tripping over yourself.

It’s okay if you’re 25, 30, 40, 50, 60 or 70 by the time you decide to shoot for some new stars. You’re never too old to dream and never too old to have a new goal.

In fact, it’s pretty cool to be able to get through a couple of your goals, turn around, and think “Okay! Now what?!” Imagine experiencing as much as you can in one lifetime. You might as well, right? You don’t get another shot.

And another message to the young folks: If you have an idea of a direction, job, or education you want to pursue right out of high school, I say “Go for it!” Even if you’re thinking “Well, this sounds fun, but I don’t know if I’m being realistic.” Still go for it! You won’t know until you try, so you might as well give it a whirl. If a year or so goes by, and it’s not your thing, then move on. Or if you think you might be interested in a certain industry but aren’t sure, get an entry-level job in that industry before college, find out if you like it, and if so, seek education and training to move yourself higher in that industry.

Be smart about pursuing your dreams and goals. Definitely don’t waste money, but be careful of time because it does tend to slip away rather quickly. (My 20’s have slipped away quicker than I thought they would!)

And don’t pile your plate too full. Finish your first helping and then go back for seconds. Or thirds! But always, ALWAYS try!

Have a plan. Better yet… have a couple different plans. Plan A, B, and C. Plan A for your main goal, plan B for the back-up plan if you don’t like that, and C the plan for “Ok, nothing is working and I need to make money to live, sooooo…. I’ll be doing this.”

Above all, shoot for what makes you happy.

My husband once said to me “People have a way of coming back to what is comfortable.” When I asked him what he meant, he said, “A lot of times when people try to push for something that doesn’t fit them, they just end up coming back to what they ultimately want.” Good point. He’s a smart man. My take on that – people shouldn’t try to make square dreams fit into a round heart. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t pursue it just because you “should.” Pursue it because you want to! Otherwise, you’ll probably regret it. (But now we’re getting a little off topic. That’s for another post, I suppose.)

My overall point – DREAM! No matter what age you are, and no matter what dream you’re currently dreaming. You only get one life to try to experience all the things that have ever made you think “Hmm…. That sounds like a cool thing to do.” They don’t have to be extravagant. If you’ve ever thought “Hmmm…. It would be interesting to be a dog walker” or “Hmmm…. I wonder what brain surgery would be like?” (Only kidding on that last one. That’s definitely a “long haul” job.) Ultimately, time’s a tickin! Hop on it!

What’s your current dream? What are goals you have planned for down the road? I’d love to see some comments!