Dreams come true. They really do. That said, do you give your dreams room to grow, develop or even pivot into something entirely different? Or do you try to hold those dreams down to be one thing for all time? If the latter, you’re doing your dreams — and yourself — a disservice.

In the world of software, there is a paradigm known as ‘agile development’. Agile development involves assessing your milestones on a regular basis, determining whether you’re heading in the right direction and pivoting quickly in the case that you determine you’re not heading in the direction you should be. While dreams and personal goals may not seem to be related, the idea of evaluating our dreams and comparing them with our current life position is a useful tool. Dreams are often considered to be static, but they really shouldn’t be; as you grow, it makes perfect sense that your dreams would grow along with you.

My dreams have changed tremendously over the last 30 years. In fact, I don’t think there’s a single think that I held dear as a dream in my 20s that remain a steadfast part of where I’m heading now. Some of that has to do with me realizing certain dreams already, such as living abroad for much of my life and being comfortable working and conversing in multiple languages. Other dreams have fallen by the wayside as my life experiences changed. No longer do I dream of having my own motorcycle dealership, for example. It’s not that having a dealership would be uninteresting or satisfying, but my focus on how to serve others has changed context. Instead of being a Parts Manager, my focus is now on mentoring clients to achieve their own life and health goals. I’m still living a life of service; it’s just a different service.

You might find it helpful to re-evaluate your dreams and goals every few months. You know, take a look at where you are and really take some time to sit with what tickles your fancy. Have your priorities changed? If so, how? Are your life dreams and goals compatible with where you’re heading? Are they still the direction in which you’d really like to go? Taking stock of where you are versus where you think you want to be and then really studying whether that destination is still appealing is all a part of ensuring that we don’t fritter away a lot of time in pursuit of something we really don’t want anymore.

It’s important to be willing to let go of dreams and goals that no longer serve you and replace them with ones that are going to be far more satisfying. You should, however, take care not to dismiss your dreams merely on the grounds that they are unattainable! If you’re basing your analysis on your dreams’ achievability, you’re selling short both yourself and your dreams. Your decision should only be based on the relative joy that a particular dream would net should you achieve it. Dreams may lose their appeal and, therefore, their emotional payload will lessen as they fall farther out of alignment with our current self.

Dreams are much like a fountain that is bubbling away with a constant stream of possibilities. Our activities can shift the direction of the stream and change the movement and flow of the current. Our activities, too, can bring us closer to or away from that flow. As the context of our experience change, our view of our fountain changes along with it.

Some people will stay closely aligned to a dream for much of their lifetime. Others will see their dreams changing on a regular basis. For me, I’ve seen a steady flow of ideas morph into goals and dreams and then shift out of focus again as my life experiences changed my perception and context. I’ve learned that this is a normal and fluid process. Just as I change with each and every breath, so too will my dreams. Allowing these to change allows me to move with the current of life’s flow all the more smoothly.

Allow your dreams to change. Don’t worry that you’re missing your life’s purpose. Your biggest purpose and gift in this lifetime is to see yourself without smoke, mirrors and distractions so that you can tap into your authentic self. Once you get used to the idea that you’re constantly changing, you’ll be able to relax and smile as you realize you’re sometimes happiest when you suddenly decide to completely change direction.

Much love <3

trane