Remember when you were in your 20’s? You first got married? Just about to leave that job you hated and start your dream job? Your dream company?

You had all kinds of time to dream. You had so many plans, so many hopes, so many dreams.

But something happened.

Life.

Bills.

Health issues.

Responsibility.

Kids.

In-laws.

How do you recapture that?

If you lead a business or a church, your team needs you to make time to dream.

If you are married, your spouse needs for you to dream.

Let’s start at home first and then move on to your career.

To dream with your spouse is crucial. I would say one of the most important and life-giving things you can do.

Recently, Katie and I were in Colorado for a wedding she was photographing, and I was performing the wedding (the only time we’ve done the same wedding). During those days, we had several hours in the car, driving through the snow and mountains. This space gave us time to talk about what excited us right now about life, family, kids, our marriage, finances, goals, etc. It also allowed us to talk about where we want to be in 5 years (our daughter will be 18) and ten years from now (we’ll have four college-age kids).

Gulp!

This space and I need to emphasize this; dreaming happens in space, not in the crowdedness of life.

We don’t want to coast through the next ten years or fly through them and get ready to hit our 50’s and wonder what happened.

Now, you might be thinking, “I can’t tell my spouse what I dream about.”

First, you should be able to.

Second, we often keep our dreams to ourselves because we are afraid of rejection, be laughed at or told that can’t happen.

If that’s the case, set some ground rules. Things like: no making fun or laughing, no dream is off limits (at this point), etc.

Just dreaming out loud together.

If you could do anything, go anywhere, see anything, what would it be?

If you looked back on the last 5, 10, 20, 30 years of your life and had no regrets, what things did you do?

Now, in your career, this is just as important; especially if you are a lead pastor or the boss.

Your team and church need you to dream.

Again, this takes time. It will not happen in between meetings but will come from intentional time away.