Growing up in a landlocked state, my childhood dream of being a marine biologist was based more on romance than personal experience. Over the years, I aspired to be a book-loving librarian, a highly respected doctor, a globe-trotting archeologist, and a life-changing high school English teacher.

What can I say? I dreamed big!

The reality was slightly different from the dreams of my youth: I married young, received a very generalized college degree, and had virtually no career of my own in the nine years since graduation.

On the other hand, while I can’t list “marine biologist” on my resume, I have viewed the stunning coral reefs of Indonesia, and experienced the thrill of swimming with sea turtles and jellyfish.

Ever the bookworm and married to “Joe Handyman”, I was able to see our home library featured in a national publication.

And while I might not be a noted archeologist, spending four years living with my husband in some remotely beautiful locations around the globe took care of the world-traveling that I craved.

What I discovered was that those childhood dreams didn’t actually die, they simply changed shape.

Photo by D.E.F.

Five months ago, I took some time to dream about what I wanted to see happen with my blog. I had grown discouraged by the lack of reader interaction and had briefly considered giving it up, but I decided to allow for one more try before pulling the plug.

I selected three goals, which included writing a guest post and connecting with my audience, and started dreaming again.

 Will you celebrate with me today? You see, with this post, I’ve just realized one of those dreams.

I’m not the only one experiencing the thrill of reaching a goal this week. Whitney Johnson is realizing a dream  with the release of her book on May 8, which has encouraged me to once again, dream big.

Not all dreams make the transition into goals, but all of my goals have started as dreams.

Carrie, a lifelong fan of Jane Austen, writes about books, personal growth, and financial goals at her blog, Carrie’s Busy Nothings. She can usually be found amidst stacks of books and is an unabashed fan of Dunkin’ Donuts blueberry bagels. You can follow Carrie on Twitter @MyBusyNothings or @CGKoens. 

Carrie Koens

Carrie Koens joined the Weaving Influence team in May 2012 and has held a number of roles, including three years as the Book Launch Director (a title she stepped away from in June 2016 in order to focus on the needs of her growing family), and she currently serves the team as a Writer and Consultant. An INTJ with a penchant for culture, book stores, Parisian cafés, Indian curry, British mystery shows, and her passport, you can find her on Twitter @CGKoens.