If Not Now, When? Making The Leap From Dreamer to Doer
Are you stuck waiting for the perfect moment to chase your dreams?
Are you a chronic daydreamer, always talking about what you want to do but never actually taking action? We all have aspirations and goals we hope to achieve one day. However, it's one thing to dream about them and another thing entirely to make them happen. My wife and I found ourselves in this place over the years. We had so much vision for things we put our hands to creatively and would always walk into spaces like hotels, cafes, and bars only to find ourselves dreaming about what we would do if we were the owners. Living in NYC, there was always someone hustling their business, a new cafe putting their name into the ring, or a new clothing brand doing a pop-up to test the market. The city was inspiring in that way. If you could make it here, you could make it anywhere.
"IF NOT NOW, WHEN?"
It's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and forget about our dreams. We get comfortable in our routines, and before we know it, years have passed without real progress toward achieving our goals. To be honest, it took a pretty drastic change in our everyday life for us to be faced with the reality of either finding another job that supported someone else's vision or actually taking control of our lives, seeing where we want to be in the next ten years and betting on ourselves to take the next step in making those dreams come to pass. During this time of wrestling, we couldn't shake the thought of, "IF NOT NOW, WHEN?"
We had been saying for many years we wanted to own our own creative studio but could never make sense of it. How could we make it? I can't count the number of times we would say, "when we've saved enough money, then we will take that risk," or "it's just not the right time yet." Most of us live in a constant place of insecurity and fear that the outcome will never play out in our favor. So, therefore, the risk is never taken. We'd rather be miserable and live in a state of "what if" than to take the first step.
But Lauren and I came to a real place of conviction, "If not now, then when?" So we began living out the exact words of encouragement we have spoken over others we cheered on all these years. We started saying them and believing them for ourselves and over our future. We decided that today was the day to start betting on ourselves. To start backing our skills and experiences and believing there was a purpose to the dreams in our hearts. And if not now, then when would we ever start putting those dreams into motion and making them a priority? We didn't want to let more life pass us by and look back on it, living with the weight of constantly wondering if we could have done that idea, or pursued that dream. So that's what the phrase "if not now, when?" means to us.
It means living with no regrets. It means taking a chance on ourselves and going after the life we want to leave our kids. It means daring to be different and doing something that scares us. It means living with intention and purpose. It means speaking life to your imposter syndrome that tells you you have nothing of value to bring. It means deciding to no longer wait for things to happen but to set goals and do what you can to make them happen ourselves.
We're obviously still on this journey, but we wanted to encourage the creatives, the entrepreneurs, and the childlike dreamers out there to wake up!
Now, this is easier said than done. It takes hard work, dedication, and perseverance. But if you're passionate about your idea and willing to put in the blood, sweat, and tears, there's no reason you can't succeed. It will take accountability, community, and simply taking the next step in front of you today. You will find your footing. You will find hope, joy, and fulfillment knowing you are setting out doing what you said you would. We're obviously still on this journey, but we wanted to encourage the creatives, the entrepreneurs, and the childlike dreamers out there to wake up! If you need someone to tell you, if not now, when? We will be that creative community for you. So if you're ready to move from dreamer to doer, The Brook Studio backs you! Today is the day you start betting on yourself.
