Wanted: One Sense of Direction

I’ve always joked about my poor sense of direction. I’m convinced the GPS was one of the greatest inventions of all time and I’m sure the years my father spent helping me find my way to and from various places, followed by my husband taking over that coveted role, would cause them to agree. I can now find my way to all kinds of places with the touch of a few buttons. What a beautiful thing.

What I’ve recently come to realize is that I could really use a similar contraption to help me find my way in LIFE. My head is spinning with ideas and unrealized dreams and I just don’t seem to know which way to turn first. My poor sense of direction seems to have flowed into my daily life and I truly wish my next move could be spelled out for me as clearly as it is on my GPS. Instead of “In 300 yards, turn left”, wouldn’t it be great if someone could authoritatively say to me, “In 15 days, start freelance writing” or “In two months, begin a photography business”.

I don’t know exactly what’s holding me back. Perhaps it’s fear of the unknown, too many passions and not enough time to attempt them all, confusion over which idea means the most to me or a combination of them all. Why do I have to have so many crazy big dreams? If only I knew the one perfect thing I most wanted to do and I could just start pursuing that dream right now. But alas, my dreams are many. I would love to pursue photography. I desperately want to write and publish my writing in some form or another. I have book ideas swirling around in my head. I have always wanted to own a bookstore. I’d love to turn my blog into something amazing. In what seems like another life, I was a special education teacher and I still feel the call to work with children in some capacity. See what I mean? Way too many crazy big dreams. Add to that the fact that I truly love being a wife and mother, taking care of our home, being here when the kids get home from school, baking cookies, preparing home-cooked meals and volunteering at school and you get a mom with crazy big dreams that need to fit into a flexible schedule. I’m not asking for much, am I?

With the start of a new season, I always seem to get that itch to refocus and evaluate my life’s direction. Right now, my GPS would probably say “recalculating” as I seem to just keep turning in circles, looking for an answer that I know, deep down, can only be found inside of me. There is no one else who can answer this question for me. All I know is that it’s time. Time to start moving in a direction and at least see how it goes. Time is marching on and I don’t want to look back and regret wasting it on too much thought and not enough action.

The summer was such a busy time with the kids and our activities together. My in-laws were also staying with us for the past month while they waited to move into their new condo. Those events provided a great excuse to put my plans on hold while I tended to the needs of my family. But I’m running out of excuses and I know it’s time to truly discover my life’s direction. With so many passions, pursuing any of them is likely to bring me joy and in that sense, it’s almost impossible for me to go wrong.

I’ve always been a fan of checklists, written goals and having a plan of some sort. I’m flexible enough to recognize when the plan isn’t working and needs to change, but I definitely see the value in having one. My plan right now is to spend the next few weeks researching some of the ideas I’d like to pursue, writing down some pros and cons and listening to what my heart is telling me. Within a few weeks, I know I need to be taking some action in a specific direction. It’s time to stop “recalculating” and figure out which way to turn. Making that turn might be a little scary, but sitting still and spinning my wheels sure isn’t working for me anymore. I know there’s so much more out there that I want to do.

Is there a dream you’d like to pursue? Please share in the comments and perhaps we can support each other in that journey.