I just laced up my shoes for 2 mile run, my first run in two weeks.

I had to stop running for nearly two weeks even though I’m training for a marathon because I pulled a muscle and it hurt to walk . Today I am nearly pain free so it’s time to run.

The marathon is in less than two months and I’ve nearly allowed the injury to the derail my dream of a marathon this year.

What do you allowed to derail your dreams?

I recently shared my book idea with a few friends, including my friends who work at a publisher. One friend recommended that she connect me to her agent. Then she wrote back and mentioned that he related that many of the mainstream publishers have plenty of social media box in the pipeline.

And discouragement. I feel deflated. And I could let that comment, in passing, derail my dream. (Note: my friend believes in my idea and is encouraging me to move forward.)

About a year ago, filled with excitement, I wanted to create a new service offering for my company. And I remember: well-meaning subcontractors encouraged me to simplify and abandon the idea. They felt strongly that last year was not the right time to embark on something new.

In retrospect, their advice was good. But saying not now is not the same as saying not ever. I don’t want to let that “not now derail” my dream forever.

What does it take to derail a dream? Can an injury derail a dream? It could. I could decide to give up after missing two weeks of training. Or, I could rest. I could take time to heal. And I can try again.

Is hearing that there are others are writing books enough to derail my dreams? No way! I have an idea that can make a difference. It’s my idea. I’m only one who can write my book.

Is bad timing a good reason to talk a dream a side forever? No way! A dream deferred is a dream ready to be reborn.

Though there may be pain in running after an injury, I never expected training for a marathon to be pain-free.

Though I may have to advocate for my book to find the right publisher, I will persevere.

And though now may not be the perfect time to execute my dream related to creating a service that can scale, I can keep thinking, keep planning, and wait until it’s clear that the time is right.

My dreams will not be derailed. I may be running more slowly but I am still running.

Tell me something! What threatens to derail your dreams?

Note: I dictated this blog post via voice to text while running one mile. After a mile, I could feel the twinge returning, so I stopped, hoping that tomorrow I may be strong enough to run two instead of one. 

Becky Robinson

I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.