BigDreamGathering

Dream BIG but think small

Mitch Matthews — 2009-11-03T09:55:44-06:00

Okay... did I grab your attention with that title?

Hope so!

Yeah... I'm usually all about dreaming BIG and thinking BIG... but a recent study in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin written by Linda Houser-Marko and Kennon Sheldon reinforces the need for us to dream BIG but concentrate on the small steps that it takes to get there.

We call those "Small but Significant steps."

Their study found that it's important for us to dream BIG and to set BIG goals. But that it's also REALLY important to think through the steps that it will take to achieve that dream or goal.

They found that as people walked out their BIG dream using these small steps... they had something to do. They made progress... one small step at a time.

Plus, if they were focused on the multiple smaller steps to get to their goal, they were less impacted by set backs. So, if one of the steps didn't work out or "failed," it didn't mean the dream was over or the goal was impossible. It just meant that that small but significant step didn't work.

So, for an example, let's say someone wants to run a marathon. They put a plan together. They think through the small but significant steps they will need to take to get there.

They may set a weekly goal of running 4 miles 4 times a week. But let's say that in a given week, they don't hit that goal and they only run 10 miles. Well, this study helps to show that if we are clear on those individual steps, then we can give ourselves a little grace and recognize that even though we may not have hit our weekly goal, that doesn't mean that our BIG dream is out of the question.

It just means that we need to take another look at our weekly plan and make some shifts.

In this case, maybe it's making a little more time for running. Or maybe it's adjusting your running schedule to allow yourself to build up a little slower.

So... it may seem incredibly simple, but it's important.

Because, as we've worked with BIG dreamers we've seen more than one think about their BIG dreams but never get to the point of breaking it down into small but significant steps. So, then they set out and take a step towards it, but if it doesn't go well, they think their dream is impossible.

But for those people who are willing to dream BIG and then think small (small but significant steps... that is)... they can face challenges along the way and know that it's all going to work out. They'll keep moving towards their BIG dream!

So keep dreaming BIG and devote a little time to thinking small this week! And let us know how it goes!

Mitch

BIG dreamer: Jennie Smith featured in the Des Moines Register!

Mitch Matthews — 2009-09-11T08:59:18-05:00

Hey gang!

Did you see our fellow BIG dreamer featured in the Des Moines Register this week?

Yup. The Register did a fantastic job of featuring this freakishly cool big dreamer, as well as tell the story of how she's walking out her BIG dream!

Check it out by clicking here.

If this link doesn't work, click here to download a pdf of the article. Download BDG - Jennie Smith - Grower follows her tomatoes to the table | DesMoinesRegister.com | The Des Moines Register

It's an awesome story and it's especially fun because Jennie has been along side us with the BDG almost since the beginning! She's dreamed BIG... and she's volunteered at many of our events to help other BIG dreamers think even BIGGER!

If you've met Jennie, you know that you could power a small city by tapping into her energy and enthusiasm!

So, Jennie... keep dreaming BIG and keep walking out that BIG dream. We're proud of you!

And to all of you other BIG dreamers... keep walking (or running) towards your BIG dreams!

We can't wait to see where it takes you!

Keep dreaming BIG!

Mitch

Need some inspiration for your BIG dream?

Mitch Matthews — 2009-08-19T09:51:47-05:00

Hey gang...

As you all know, we're ALL about people walking out their dreams... BIG and small!

We know you are too.

So, have you heard about Matt?

Yup, Matt's had a BIG dream of doing a happy dance... and doing it around the world.

Simple. Profound. Fun. Powerful.

Check it out....

He's been "happy dancing" for a while... and now he's got people happy dancing with him! Including Stride gum which kicked in to fund his travels around the world! How cool is that?!?

Click here to find out more about Matt and his BIG dream.

So... I say... keep dancing Matt!

And to you... I say... keep dreaming BIG! You just never know where it will take you!

Need some inspiration for YOUR BIG dream?

Mitch Matthews — 2009-06-30T13:21:05-05:00

Hey gang...

I just had a great conversation with BIG dreamer Mandy Van Maanen on our BDG Podcast. Click here to check it out!

In the podcast... we had the chance to revisit Mandy's BIG dream that she posted on the wall at our original BIG dream gathering in our home.

And since she walked it out... she also offers some specific encouragement for dreamers who are thinking about going after one of their BIG dreams.

Then, we talked about one of her newest BIG dreams that involves the Cornerstone of Hope Orphanage in Nigeria.

Listen in as she talks about her passion for helping these beautiful children that have been helped by the orphanage... and her involvement in expanding the capacity of the orphanage from 7 children to 50!

How exciting is that?

Again... click here to listen in to this interview with this inspiring... and freakishly cool... BIG dreamer... Mandy Van Maanen!

I hope that it inspires you to dream BIG and go after your own BIG dreams!

Keep dreaming BIG!

Mitch

______________________________________________________________

If you would like to find out more about the Cornerstone of Hope Orphanage...

Click here to check out their website.

Click here to check out their facebook page.

Of if you'd like to see a video about the orphanage... check it out below.

Barbara Garlock shares an inspiring BIG dream!

Mitch Matthews — 2009-06-17T01:01:13-05:00

Barbara Garlock has an amazing story... AND an amazing BIG dream!

She is a successful attorney... she has a huge heart... AND she is a stage four cancer survivor.

Now, she is wanting to help others that are facing challenging health issues by introducing something she is calling a "Center for Patient Partnerships."

Check out our video interview from the recent BIG dream gathering in North Carolina...

She wants to start a center as a collaborative project affiliated with one or more universities.

Students, practitioners and professors of medicine, law, theology, social work, psychology, nursing, etc. could help people navigate the health care system and be advocates for the patients who need it most!

And not just "treat" them... but help them in a loving and compassionate way... listening to them... and helping to provide resources and sense of peace.

So, if you have encouragement, ideas or connections for Barbara, please click "comments" below this post and let her know!

And keep dreaming BIG!

Mitch

A little inspiration from someone who is walking out their BIG dream!

Mitch Matthews — 2009-06-04T11:17:34-05:00

I connected with John Cheatem last night... and talked with him about his upcoming concert in Des Moines.

You may have heard of John... and better yet... maybe you've heard John first hand.

He's a 23 year old powerhouse with a voice that's incredible and a humble heart that's equally amazing.

If you have... or if you haven't... heard John sing... you need to check out this youtube video of John performing Amazing Grace...

Amazing... huh?

Well, John decided to take a step towards his BIG dream and hold a concert tomorrow night.

Yup, It was a risk. It was scary.

Would people come?

Would people make fun?

Would people say... "Who are you to do that?"

That's right... John had to face all of those internal voices that we all have to face as we're walking out our BIG dreams.

Well, I'm glad he pushed through. So is he.

Want tickets for the show? Well, sorry. Believe it or not... the venue is SOLD OUT!

That's right!

His first show... and it SOLD OUT!

It's going to be a great night and I believe the continuation of an amazing journey towards his BIG dream.

We'll schedule John for a BDG podcast soon, so we can get an update on his dream AND find out when his next show is scheduled for YOUR area! (We'll have to get it early though... because I have a feeling he's going to sell out a whole lot of venues!)

Be inspired! Send up some prayers for John for tomorrow night! And... Keep dreaming BIG!

Mitch

So... are you willing to reverse the trends?

Mitch Matthews — 2009-05-28T10:32:52-05:00

Hey gang... a friend pointed me to this awesome video that won a recent contest sponsored by the AARP.

Check it out... and give it some thought.

I know the dream team behind the BIG dream gathering believes in reversing the trends.

I know many of you... the BIG dreamers that we've been honored to connect with... believe in reversing the trends. (Want an example? Check out Carly's story!)

How about you?

Where do you want to be in 10 years?

Where do you want the world to be in 30 years?

Yeah... let's dig in... let's dream BIG... let's walk out what we were put on the planet to do... and by doing that... we'll reverse some of these trends!

Who's with me?

Mitch

A BIG dream thank you to our military and their families!

Mitch Matthews — 2009-05-25T08:46:00-05:00

Melissa and I had an brief but amazing conversation with a woman yesterday.

She let us know that she had recently talked to her son who has been serving with the U.S. military in Afghanistan.

She beamed with pride as she told us about how even though his life is at risk every day, he LOVES what he is doing and he LOVES serving his country in this way.

Even though it seemed like a small gesture, we asked that she tell him THANK YOU from us when she talked with him next time and she agreed to do it!

It always amazes me to hear about our women and men who are serving in other parts of the world. For so many of them... it's their BIG dream to do it.

Their BIG dream is to do all that they can do to keep us safe.

And I am so grateful for it!

I'm also grateful to their families and friends who sacrifice while they are away!

So... today we want to say THANK YOU to everyone who serves in this way... and a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has served our country in this way in the past!

You have given so much and we are so grateful!

AGAIN... even though it seems like such a small gesture compared to what you have done... THANK YOU!

Here's a song and a story to inspire your BIG dream!

Mitch Matthews — 2009-05-11T17:30:26-05:00

My friend, Roy Galan, pointed me to a video this morning.

I wasn't sure what to expect... but I needed a little something to get the creative juices flowing... so I decided to check it out.

Wow... I'm glad I did.

I was not only freakishly blessed by the song... but by the story behind it.

So... Is your BIG dream needing a little inspiration?

Are you needing something to get the juices flowing'?

Are you needing a reminder that we're all in this together?

Yeah... okay... check this out...

Cool huh?

Well... here's the rest of the story.

This video is from www.PlayingforChange.com.

These guys have a BIG dream that is incredible. Basically... they feel that music can be used to bring people together and to bring some peace to the world.

This BIG dream has taken them around the world... and in many ways... has turned into a movement.

Click here to hear one of the co-founders talk about their journey so far. Check it out... and be inspired!

So... what's one of your BIG dreams?

What if it turned into a world-wide movement?

I know... I know... it may not feel possible. But the guys behind PlayingforChange had no idea where their BIG dream would take them when they started a few years ago.

But in the last few years... they've been able to travel the globe and connect with countless musicians from all walks of life! Plus, their most recent trip included a stop in Dublin to work with a performer who doesn't get to play on the streets much anymore. (That's right... they got to record Bono himself!)

Yeah... just ask these guys... they'll tell you... it's possible.

So... why not hum a few bars of Stand by Me... and take a step towards that dream?

Remember... we're all in this together!

Keep dreaming BIG!

Mitch

So... what do you want to "DO" today?

Mitch Matthews — 2009-05-08T08:00:00-05:00

Image by Great Beyondvia Flickr

Okay... so... we are continuing our conversation about budgeting our time... especially when it comes to going after our BIG dreams!

We're wanting to figure out your unique "D.D.A.E. equation."

(That's deciding what you need to DO, DELEGATE, AUTOMATE or ELIMINATE.)

In my last post, I suggested starting this process with taking a "snap shot" of how you are currently spending your time. I even included a tracking grid to help in the process.

Today, we are going to start by looking at the first "D" in the equation.

Yup, that's right. We're going to talk about what you actually need to be "DOING."

This sounds simple enough... doesn't it?

But whether you are a stay-at-home-parent, an entrepreneur or a high-level executive, we all seem to have a lot of stuff to do!

Some of this "stuff" represents things that we need to be doing... but some of it is stuff that we don't need to be doing anymore... right?

How about you?

After tracking your time for a week, did you figure out you were doing some things that you didn't need to be doing?

Maybe, if you're like me, you found things slipping into the daily schedule due of bad habits, old habits or maybe because nobody else will do it!

Now, there are a lot of places to turn to get help on deciding what to do and not do.

You can look to Covey's Four Quadrants. (Click here to check out the quadrants represented in fun cartoon format!)

You can look to gurus like David Allen and read Getting Things Done.

Yup, these are great tools!

But I'm going to challenge you to think BIG PICTURE for a minute.

Why?

Well, a lot of times we wind up doing things that we don't need to be doing because we don't REALLY know where we want to go.

So, it's as Epictetus said, "First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do."

This is especially true when you are considering going afer one of your BIG dreams. Sometimes it might involve a major career change... but sometimes it might involve doing some things on the side to move towards your dream... small step... by small step.

This is what Tim Ferris did in his pursuit of the 4-Hour Work Week.

He got clear on what he wanted life to look like... and what he'd need to do to get there. Then he started to align his daily tasks with that vision.

So... here are some questions to ponder:

What are some of things I want to achieve in the next five years? (Or how about 10 to 25 years?)
Who do I want to be? Who do I feel called to be? What do I want life to look like?

Then... as you are looking through your daily task lists... ask yourself some of the following questions:

Can I link this task to these goals?
Will this help me to achieve these goals?
How could this task help me in the pursuit of these goals and dreams?

Now, I'll admit that 100 percent of your to-dos won't pass this test. They won't all clearly link to these big goals and dreams.

But what if you held yourself to a higher standard?

What if you simply agreed to take a look at this?

What if you were willing to at least consider these questions and hold yourself to a greater number of your daily tasks lining up with your bigger vision and dreams?

How might that help you move towards these goals and dreams?

Then... as you find tasks that align with your goals... you can start to think about ways to do more of those things.

And for the things that don't pass the test, you can agree to at least consider putting some of them in one of the upcoming categories in the D.D.A.E. equation! (Delegate, Automate or Eliminate)

Stay tuned... because we'll be getting you specific strategies for these categories in the coming weeks!

Go ahead... take the challenge... think BIG picture... set up some targets to shoot for... and start aligning your day to these goals and dreams.

Keep dreaming BIG!

Mitch