I think it’s important to know how to manage our “in the meantime.” Our “in the meantime” is the period of time we are waiting for our hopes, dreams, projects, and passions to materialize and come true.
We all have dreams we are waiting on to be fulfilled, but what do we do in the meantime? How do we stay happy, peaceful, optimistic, and inspired while waiting?
Obviously, you must be actively working on the dream or project. If you are hoping and hoping and not doing anything to birth that dream, you know that’s obviously a waste of your thinking time. Time is a gift. Don’t waste it away. Thoughts don’t actually happen until they are put into motion and action.
If you’re still procrastinating on initiating steps to put that passion or dream into action, let today be the day you stop procrastinating. Let today be the day you search Google for steps to take; the day you reach out to that mentor who’s an expert in that field; the day you start writing down active steps to move forward.
If you are already actively pursuing your dreams and are waiting for parts of the dream to come together, here’s what you do in the meantime:
- Take care of yourself spiritually and physically—meaning exercise several times a week, eat right most of the time, pray, spend time in solitude, reflect, travel, etc.
- Keep researching and seeking one to three mentors in the field pertaining to your dream project. Let three be your maximum number, and don’t ask advice from friends or family who are not experts in that field. You’ll end up confused, and you’ll start to stall and doubt yourself.
- Work hard in your current job that pays your bills. Don’t lose focus on that current job. You need it to pay your bills.
- Have time carved out to actively work on your dream project every single day.
- Write down active and practical timelines for everything you need to do to bring it to fruition, and cross them off as you achieve them.
- If you can’t birth that project within two to three years and it is proving difficult to face reality, consider letting it go. It may not be your path. Be realistic about waiting forever and wasting your time and resources.
- Keep an optimistic, bright, and positive outlook. Hope for the best. Push through obstacles. Be kind to everyone working with/for you, even if you have to move on from them at some point.
- Avoid naysayers. This could be your close friends and even family. Be careful!
- Listen to experts, those with proven track records, as long as there’s no money or profit in it for them. Be careful of this. Some people will advise you based on what is in it for them.
- Be ready to hear the truth even if it’s not what you hoped to hear.
- Don’t tell the whole world about your dreams before they happen. Bad vibes and bad energy do exist.
- One extra vital step—save, save, save. Have a retirement fund, have a savings account, college fund for your kids, etc., and get rid of bad debt.
- Have lots of fun as you work hard. Make sure you keep a light, fun-filled heart.
May our “in the meantimes” be full of permanent happiness, and may we savor and enjoy every single day.