“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.” ~ Christopher Reeve

I am sure you know plenty of ordinary people who have done things the world deemed impossible: a gangly little girl who grew up to be a beauty queen; an underachiever who earned a graduate degree; an abused woman who lifted herself out of her misery and created a better life for herself and her children.

Heck, I bet YOU have accomplished things that some folks say they could never do. Crocheted an afghan? Run a marathon? Jumped out of an airplane?

Published a novel?

These last four are dreams of mine, and in the past I created intricate daily schedules and detailed to-do lists to help me reach such goals. In this New Year, though, I am trying a different approach. I want to remain open to adventure and possibility, to spend more time with friends and family, to simply BE. And that can’t happen when my every waking moment is accounted for before I get out of bed every day. After functioning that way for many years, I reached the point that I almost didn’t WANT to get out of bed in the morning. I was so burned out NOTHING brought me joy. And that is no way to live.

So I hereby give myself permission to pursue my passions as a lifestyle as opposed to relegating them to items on a to-do list, to improve my daily habits around diet, exercise and housekeeping and otherwise simply follow the leadings of my heart. This is not the same as aimlessly stumbling through each day not knowing what is going to happen, merely reacting to events as they occur; on the contrary, I know what I want and am willing to work hard to get it. Just not on a predetermined timetable. I want to be free to live in the moment.

Will this decision diminish my chances of success? I don’t think so. Because regardless of whether or not I ever get that publishing contract—and I firmly believe that I will—there are other, equally important aspects of my life that will need tending in order for it to be truly rich and fulfilling.

What “impossible” dreams are you working to achieve in 2012? Leave a comment for a chance to win an autographed copy of Suzanne Brockmann’s “Kiss and Tell.” Happy Third Anniversary, Petit Fours and Hot Tamales!