I had the joy this week to meet a beautiful newborn.  She is the first baby of close friends and to see them in their new role as parents was just as touching and precious as the little angel baby herself.  It has had me thinking about the Big Dream.

I often say that I’m blown over by my clients’ secret Big Dream.  I’m starting to think everyone has one.  The Big Dream comes out after 3 or 4 coaching sessions, the point where we gain a solid trust.  It might be a powerful business idea, a want for their family, a desire to upgrade or downsize their life in a major way, a move across the country, a passion to start a nonprofit organization…you name it.  Sometimes a client fears that it might be a lost dream or too lofty.  A client of mine this week started to put in motion plans for one of the Biggest Big Dreams I have ever heard.  I was coaching her on setting up a team of advisers.  My fear is the accountants will have trouble being genuinely supportive because this idea is so huge, yet it’s important for her to have a concrete business foundation.

See, our Big Dream calls on us and while it seems crazy at first, we begin to dance with it.  Being problem solvers at heart, we start to rationalize the crazy dance into a plan and over time we start to believe it might actually work.  Then, we share the Big Dream with others and it is criticized.  Even our biggest champions poke holes in it.  Well-meaning questions will make us second and triple guess ourselves and those needed accountants will look at us cross-eyed.

But…what if we treat our Big Dream like a newborn?  Only those closest to us are allowed access to the newborn.  As the parent, we make the rules.  We might listen to “advice” but as any good new parent…we’ve read the books, interviewed the babysitters, and moved to the best school district.  We know best.  We treat our newborn delicately and gently.  We manage the cries, the gas pain, the teething, and dirty diapers.  We will move mountains and take down bullies for this precious baby.  All the natural parental instincts of protection, promotion, detailed care, and discipline come shining through us.  Can you see how treating your Big Dream with the precision of a new parent can help the idea develop?

Isn’t it time for your Big Dream?  What do you think about Treating it like a Newborn?   Share your Big Dream experiences and how you made it happen in the comments.  Inspire us all with what has worked for you.