There’s this idea floating around that how to pursue your dreams looks like a montage.
You know the one, early mornings, cute coffee shots, aesthetic planners, progress that feels exciting and visible. A life where things just start clicking once you finally decide to “go for it.”
But that hasn’t been my experience at all.
For me, pursuing my dreams looks a lot more like discipline while life keeps happening. It looks like believing in a plan when the results are quiet. It looks like choosing consistency even when nothing feels glamorous yet.
This is why I stopped relying on motivation alone and started building systems that support my goals, something I break down more deeply in my post on building personal productivity systems for more balance, success, and consistency.
And I think that’s the part no one really talks about.
The Space Between Who You Are and Who You’re Becoming
There are days when I look at my life and feel the tension deeply, the space between who I am right now and the woman I’m working toward becoming.
I’m juggling a full-time job as a teacher, content creation across multiple platforms, blogging, fitness goals, and trying to keep my personal life from completely unraveling. Some days I manage it well. Other days, it feels like chaos with a to-do list attached.
I use planners. I use digital systems. I try my best to stay organized (and I’ve shared my current setup in my post about organizing life with Notion and planners). Sometimes it helps. Sometimes it just helps me name the mess instead of drowning in it.
From the outside, things probably look fine. I’m functioning. I’m “making it work.”
Internally, though, it’s more complicated.
When Your Reality Doesn’t Match Your Vision (Yet)
I have a very clear vision for my future.
I imagine a cozy, creative life where I’m writing books, sharing stories through blogs and videos, encouraging others, and building financial stability doing work that feels meaningful to me. I picture a peaceful home, time freedom, and the ability to choose my days with intention.
That’s the dream.
Here’s the reality right now:
- I’m a teacher whose job can be mentally exhausting.
- I rent a room and feel the weight of financial instability more often than I’d like.
- My car is a constant stressor.
- I’m paying off debt and playing catch-up more than I’m getting ahead.
This is the part people don’t usually post about.
The middle.
The unglamorous season.
The stretch where you’re still showing up without proof that it’s “working” yet.
And still — I keep creating.
I write blog posts. I post on Instagram. I film YouTube videos. And sometimes I catch myself thinking, Who do I think I am? What makes me believe this will work out?
But maybe that question is the point.
Pursuing Your Dreams Isn’t a Montage
Here’s what I’ve learned: pursuing your dreams isn’t about feeling confident all the time. It’s about staying disciplined when doubt shows up anyway.
It’s about trusting your plan even when your life doesn’t look like the end result yet. It’s about doing the work quietly while life continues to life, bills, stress, exhaustion, uncertainty and all.
The gap between where you are and where you want to be can feel suffocating if you believe it means you’re failing. But I don’t believe that anymore.
I think that gap is where growth actually happens.
Why I Keep Going Anyway
Despite everything, there’s a part of me that refuses to quit.
Not because I’m fearless. Not because I have blind optimism. But because creating gives me purpose when everything else feels loud and uncertain.
Even with a small audience, even when progress feels slow, I know that what I’m building matters. Those 600 people reading, watching, engaging? They’re real. And so is the connection.
I’m not creating content to chase fame or fantasy. I’m creating to encourage, to document the process, and to remind people, including myself, that you don’t have to have it all figured out to keep going.
I rely on a mix of digital and physical planning tools to stay grounded, and I walk through what that looks like in my post on organizing life with Notion and planners.
Progress doesn’t require perfection. It requires presence.
How to Pursue Your Dreams Successfully (In Real Life)
This isn’t a blueprint, it’s what I’m practicing right now.
1. Get Clear on Your Vision
If everything feels overwhelming, clarity is your anchor. Write down what you’re working toward. Short-term, long-term, it doesn’t have to be perfect. Just honest. Keep it visible so you remember why you’re showing up on hard days.
2. Take One Intentional Action a Day
Consistency compounds. One paragraph written. One video filmed. One small payment toward a goal. Momentum is built quietly, not all at once.
When everything feels important at once, learning how to prioritize is what keeps you from burning out. I share my favorite methods in my post on how to prioritize tasks when everything feels important.
3. Break the Dream Into Systems
Big dreams need structure. I rely heavily on systems to keep myself grounded, routines, schedules, and prioritization strategies that reduce decision fatigue. I talk more about this in my post on building personal productivity systems, because discipline is easier when your life supports it.
4. Celebrate the Small Wins
Acknowledging the small victories, even if they seem insignificant, is an important step in how to pursue your dreams successfully. Finishing that blog post, posting consistently on Instagram, or making progress toward your goals, even if it’s just a little bit, matters. These are the moments that will keep you motivated on the hard days.
6. Respect Rest as Part of Discipline
This is another hard one for me. I am always so fired up and excited to accomplish my goals that when I do rest, I feel like I am wasting my time. That I should be doing something productive. But the truth is, you can’t pour from an empty cup.
Burnout doesn’t build dreams, sustainability does. Rest is not quitting. It’s refueling.
6. Lean on Community When You Can
You don’t have to do this alone. Whether it’s friends, family, or people walking a similar path, support makes the journey lighter. Sometimes encouragement is the difference between giving up and going one more day.
For Anyone Who Feels Behind
If you’re reading this and feeling like you’re not where you “should” be, I want you to know something:
Being in the middle doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re building.
Your journey doesn’t have to look impressive to be meaningful. It just has to be honest. Keep showing up. Keep choosing yourself. Keep trusting that the work you’re doing now is laying a foundation you’ll be grateful for later.
I’m not where I want to be yet, but I’m not where I used to be either. And that matters.
Pursuing your dreams doesn’t require a montage. It requires discipline, patience, and belief in your own path, even when life gets loud.
And that’s enough.
Happy growing, Nerdy Babes. 💗
✨ Don’t Miss a Thing! ✨
Let’s keep the nerdy vibes going! 📚🎉 Follow me on TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram for bookish fun, anime recs, and self-love magic.
Want more? Everything I mentioned, plus links to my favorite tools, routines, and Amazon faves, lives here on my Shop Page!
📥 Free Soft Life Reset Kit
7 aesthetic digital downloads to help you glow up with structure, softness, and style.
Sign up below to unlock planners, trackers, and cozy routine tools, free inside The Nerdy Babe Vault.
More on Slow Living….