From Dreams to Reality: The Power of Baby Steps in Creating Your Dream Life
March 05, 2025
As Physician moms, we're trained to make bold moves. We diagnose confidently, treat decisively, and manage crises with calm expertise. Yet when it comes to creating our dream lives, many of us hesitate, waiting for the "perfect time" to make significant changes.
In the final installment of our Dream Life Blueprint series, I want to focus on perhaps the most crucial step: taking action. But not in the way you might expect.
The Misconception About "Massive Action"
When I talk about taking massive action toward your dream life, I don't mean quitting your job tomorrow or buying one-way tickets for your family to another country (though if that's truly what you want, go for it!).
Instead, I'm talking about something that sounds contradictory but is actually profound: baby steps.
Why are baby steps "massive"? Because most people take no steps at all. Most continue living with discontent, following standards set by someone else for someone else. Taking even small steps toward your vision puts you miles ahead.
The Power of Small Wins
There's another advantage to baby steps: they create sustainable momentum. Each small win gives you the encouragement to keep going.
Let's say your dream is to have a thriving surgical practice while working four days a week so you can take your child to gymnastics on Fridays. Your baby steps might include:
Researching what a 0.8 FTE pay structure would look like
Reviewing finances with your partner to assess feasibility
Exploring what lifestyle adjustments might be needed
Saying no to Friday commitments that don't align with your vision
Finding colleagues who might take over certain responsibilities
None of these steps dramatically changes your life overnight. But collectively, they move you steadily toward your dream.
Doing Things Scared
Here's another liberating truth: you can take action while feeling fear. In fact, waiting until you're completely free of fear often means never taking action at all.
As Physicians, we've done incredibly challenging things throughout our careers. We have the receipts to prove it! That same courage and resilience can fuel our journey toward our dream lives.
The Prerequisite Steps
Of course, action doesn't happen in isolation. Remember the earlier steps in our blueprint:
Create space: Arrange support systems that give you the time, energy, and mental bandwidth to dream.
Cast the vision: Allow yourself to imagine boldly without constraints.
Hold the vision: Keep your dream at the forefront of your mind, noticing what aligns and what doesn't.
Vision with your partner: Ensure you're moving in the same direction, addressing concerns with curiosity.
With these foundations in place, your action steps become more focused and meaningful.
Starting Now, Not "Someday"
As Physician moms, we often put our dreams on hold until "someday" - when the kids are older, when we've paid off loans, when we have more time. But your dream life doesn't have to wait.
Yes, things might take longer in this season of motherhood. The steps might look different than they would for someone else. But that's exactly why it's important to start now - because the journey is already adapted to your unique circumstances.
You deserve to create a life that energizes rather than depletes you. You deserve to wake up excited about your day. And you can begin building that reality today, one small step at a time.
What's one baby step you can take this week toward your dream life?
