Why You Need to Pursue Your Dreams Quietly

Last updated on December 28th, 2022 at 10:16 am

This post may contain affiliate links meaning I might earn a small commission if you click on the link to make a purchase but it doesn’t cost you anything. Thanks for your support!

I am a firm believer in why you should pursue your dreams quietly

From my very first post, 50 facts about me to my previous post about finding your perfect perfume, it’s already been almost two years since I’ve been a blogger.

I feel connected to many of my blog posts (or else I wouldn’t write about them) but this one is a tiny bit more special because it’s something I’m going through right now.

This blog post will go into detail about my personal experience as well as why you too should pursue your dreams quietly.

My First Blogging Attempt 

If you read blogging journey as a newbie post, you’ll know that this isn’t my first blog. I started my first blog back in 2019, which felt like a lifetime ago. It failed. Terribly.

I was posting inconsistently and barely had any blog post ideas.

Honestly, I don’t even remember what I wrote about in my old blog.

I ended up hating the blog name too. It was so bad that I shut it down.

After my first failed attempt, blogging was still on my mind a lot but to start the process all over again was intimidating. It took months before I start working on this blog.

Things weren’t exactly smooth sailing but I was happy when I passed my first blog anniversary. I went further on this blog than in my old one.  

The first year of writing Water Colour Marks was tough.

I was stumbling over each step trying to figure things out.

Facebook, actually, was the platform I turned to for help. It was blogging Facebook groups that got me through a lot of technical issues. They helped me with things I didn’t know how to do myself.

My Hesitancy

Blogging is one of my dreams but I kept it a secret. If I remember correctly, I think only one person know about my old blog.

Even now, there is only a handful of people that knows about this blog in my life.

A part of me was scarred from my past failure but as I’m approaching my second blog anniversary, I’m becoming more open to the idea.

Mainly because I have a better sense of direction of what I want to do with my blog.

The beginning of 2022 is looking good so far as I even have a bunch of blog-related goals for the year. This took a long time to figure out though.

I am clearer in my vision so maybe when I accomplish some of my goals, I’ll share this aspect of my life with more people.

Here are the reasons why I kept my dreams quiet from almost everyone.

Pursue Your Dreams Quietly Reason #1: Being Judged

Let’s be honest here. We ALL have judged people at one point or another in our lives but being judged on your dreams…it’s something people are more likely to be sensitive about.

I once told someone about my blog (let’s name her G) and she barely gave me a reaction.

In fact, she seemed downright dismissive. She was trying to be polite but from her words and facial expressions, it was obvious how she felt.

I wish I can be cool and said I shrugged it off but her reaction hurt my feelings.

She’s a part of that handful of people that knows about my blog. I wasn’t expecting her to jump up and down to be excited for me but her reaction was disappointing.

A part of me wished I could turn back in time because I would stop myself from telling her.

But there’s another part of me that is thankful she taught me my reason for not sharing my dreams with a lot of people was right.

People can give all types of reactions. We don’t like to be judged but when we share our dreams with others, we are opening that door.

Pursue Your Dreams Quietly Reason #2: You Need Time to Figure It Out

When we have these dreams, they can seem far and unrealistic. Let’s use me again as an example of a blogger.

I knew I wanted to be a blogger but I felt quite lost. How do you go about it?

You see all these successful bloggers and you might think you can be like them too.

But when you’re actually doing it, it’s harder than you think. It’s because you daydream about the end result but you don’t really think about the process of getting there.

Take time to figure out the steps on how to achieve your dreams.

At least the first few steps but there are a lot of people that have trouble doing that.

Even if they do, that’s only the beginning. There’s still a long path ahead of you. How badly do you want this?

My first blog was a perfect example of this. I didn’t know what I truly wanted and was wishy-washy with everything. I had no idea what I was doing.

Or you might realize that as you’re working on your dreams, you’ve changed your mind. Your dreams at 18 years old might not be the same as your dreams at someone who’s 25 years old.

When you don’t share your dreams with many people, you can think quietly in your head about what you want to do. You need time to figure out what you want.

Use a resource like this free annual planner to help you plan out your dreams.

Pursue Your Dreams Quietly Reason #3: You Might Be Asked About It A Lot

I don’t like talking about my blog in real life so when people bring it up, I feel uncomfortable. My personality is more of I wanna do my own thing than keep talking about it with other people.

Once in a while, I’ll voluntarily talk about my blog but I generally don’t want to be asked about it.

Sharing your dreams means having to update people. You’ll probably be asked about it by at least several different people.

It might be an innocent question but it can also stress you out. Especially when you haven’t made much progress.

Being asked about your dreams can be triggering.

You have this invisible internal pressure that you need to get back on track. It’s a reminder that I haven’t been working on it so it’s not something I usually want to talk about. 

Pursue Your Dreams Quietly Reason #4: Naysayers Will Affect You

How many times have you heard other people say to not care about what others think or say?

Easier said than done.

Even if I know blogging is what I want to spend my time and energy on, there are moments when I’m frustrated with my progress.

Those are when I am the most vulnerable and am comparing myself to other bloggers.

As much as you don’t want to, outside voices do influence your feelings. One comment from someone can trigger you to go down a rabbit hole.

After G was dismissive of my dream as a blogger, here were some of the questions I asked myself:

• Am I even a good blogger?
• There are so many blogs out there. What makes me special?
• Is this even going anywhere? Should I give up now?
• Should I let my dreams be a fantasy? Working on it is too much work
• Am I wasting my time on this?

There were times when I wanted to shout from the rooftops about my blog (okay not actually because people would just give me weird looks and think I’m a psycho) but I always stop myself in time.

Not everyone is going to be supportive and when you’re at your low points, it’s the naysayers that you’ll think about.

Be Selective of Who You Share Your Dreams With

I do not think you should share your dreams with no one at all. Instead, be picky about who you do let in.

Keeping your dreams to yourself means you have to work out everything on your own. There are times when you do need your people.

For example, when I lost motivation for my blog, I relied on my small circle to support me emotionally.

We’re especially hard on yourselves and can focus on the bad stuff. When you feel like nothing is going well, you need a cheerleader to tell you that you’re doing well or remind you how far you’ve come.

I 100% credit them. I don’t know if I’ll be here today writing this post if it wasn’t for their encouragement.

Then there are other moments where you want to vent. To get it off your chest. You can journal about your issue but it’s not the same as a human being lending you an ear.

The main point is to choose the right people. There are people in your life who you know right away that probably wouldn’t be supportive of your dreams. Don’t tell them.

Share your dreams with those who you know will give you emotional strength when you have none.

Not Sharing Might Make You Feel Awkward

When I have conversations with people and they ask me questions like ‘what do I do in my spare time,’ my blog always pops up in my head.

Since I keep my blogger dreams private, I tell them everything else I do for fun. I like to shop from Vestiaire Collective, watch Chinese dramas, and go on day trips like Hong Kong Disneyland.

This uncomfortable question might feel awkward at first. You’re not telling them a big part of your life but it’s something you’ll learn to be more comfortable with.

Now to You – Why You Should Pursue Your Dreams Quietly

LIKE THIS POST?

SAVE FOR LATER

Xoxo,
Nicole