How to Return to the Dreams You Left Behind

The Year of Return Part II: Saying YES to building our dream life, one decision at a time!

I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was a little girl. And this year, I’m returning to that dream. By the end of 2026, I will have written my debut novel.

But I know I’m not alone… this is our year of return. The year we go back to the dreams we once set aside. The year we finally say yes to the creative callings that never really left us.

Returning to a dream doesn’t happen by accident. It starts with intention and action. It starts with saying “Yes, I can do this!!” So here’s what that has actually looked like for me (and what it might look like for you).

Do Something Radical

The definition of radical I return to the most is “very different from the usual or traditional.” That could be as simple as signing up for a class. Or as extreme as moving to a new city that fosters, celebrates, and supports your creative work!

Personally, I knew that if I was going to be a writer (with adhd), I had to hold myself accountable. So even though I’m terrified, I’m radical doing things like this: publicly and loudly declaring my goal to write a novel this year. I also started a Substack to share my short stories after months of going back and forth about whether or not to make it anonymous… until i realized that sometimes, the only way forward is to be seen trying.

What’s one radical thing you could do to make your world feel larger, sharper, and terrifyingly alive?

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Feed the Dream Before It Feeds You

When you decide to return to the dream you’ve been putting down, you have to pour into it.

Your time.

Your attention.

Your dedication.

When I went back to writing, I didn’t just wake up and sell a book. I had to research the publication process, learn how to find agents and publications. Then I had to learn how to write the book with ADHD, no experience, and no real examples to follow (THE STRUGGLE!)

It took a lot of trying. A lot of failing. A lot of no’s and not yets.

But I also got to experience the joy of learning and reconnecting with the thing I’ve always wanted to do. And, eventually, I got my yes!

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Dream Big, Then Work Backwards

What’s helped me stay consistent in this return is having a light plan I can come back to when I feel off track. I started by writing my vision:

In ten years, I want three bestselling novels, one adapted for film. I want my book advances and royalties to fund a small writing cottage in the English countryside. I want my work to be genre-bending so I never feel boxed in by industry expectations.

Then I broke it down. I found international opportunities, earned spots in London artist residencies, and researched what it would take to build a writing life abroad. I enrolled in programs that aligned with my vision—choosing multi-genre classes so I could write humor, romance, mystery, and everything in between.

And maybe most importantly, I began transitioning my income from my business to my writing years ago so going full-time wouldn’t feel financially jolting.

Big dreams become real when you give them a plan.

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Open the Door You’ve Been Keeping Closed

You buried your dream for a reason.

Maybe it felt safer to follow the traditional path. Maybe you didn’t believe it was something you could actually do. Maybe it was something else entirely. I don’t know. But what I do know is that until you give yourself permission to step into your calling, it will never work.

Stop telling yourself it’s too late. Stop waiting until you feel ready. Stop letting other people’s fear for your life become your excuse not to act.

Allow yourself to be seen trying. Learn out loud. Share your work. Say the dream out loud. Surround yourself with people, places, and things that feed you spiritually, mentally, and creatively.

Decide that you’re going to do this. Because you can. Because you will. Because it works when you decide it will.

You hold more power than you think.

This is the year we return.