I have always been a huge daydreamer. It is what my brain defaults to 99% of the time, during work, college classes, driving, etc.

The main subject of my daydreams has always been my future. So here's the problem. I develop this mental picture of good things that might be in store for me in the future (new job, marrage, family, friends, house, travel, etc). My mind plays out the scenarios in a fairly realistic way, nothing Hollywood or outragous.

I used to enjoy these escapes into the exciting things that might lie ahead for me, they were motivating and gave me some sort of goal to shoot for. But the problem is that the daydreams never come to fruition. I'm getting tired of daydreaming, now I start and immediately think 'Yeah, right....get real'.

Is daydreaming healthy way to motivate for the future, or is it a source of disappointment when 99% of the things you hope for never come true?

I used to believe in the former but now am becoming the latter - a daydream cynic.

Like most things, daydreaming has its time and place.

Taking a shower or swinging on the porch are good times to daydream.

While merging into traffic on the freeway is a bad time to daydream. :)

Seriously, I get some of my best ideas when I let my mind wander. 99% of them never pan out, but the ones that do have been worth it.

I think picturing yourself in a good future is a positive thing. I read something years ago that talked about imagining yourself where you wanted to be an picturing it -- it can actually helps shape the course of the choices you make.


I think Umnichu is right on -- there is a time and place for it. If you could tell me if I took this pill I'd never day dream again -- I wouldn't take it! I probably daydream too much, but it generally helps keep me my stress in balance and helps me finish doing boring jobs (like washing the dishes). I actually find daydreaming a lot less problematic than say wasting my time watching TV or spending too much time on the internet. I've also gotten some really good ideas during the daydreaming sessions that I've used in real life.

It's mostly a problem if it starts replacing real life instead of providing brief respites from it. Just my two cents worth!:)

Scattered

Daydreaming's definitley a plus for me....it helps me sort out a lot of problems, while remaining in a safe place. Also, I tend to dream about eveything--from realistic to completley outrageous (for example, I love to think what I'd do if I were dropped in a different time period or cuture).....Anyways, kansas, why don't you look at this way-- your daydreams aren't reality, and they don't have to be--and yeah, it would be nice if things go the way you plan, but if not, at least you had some good moments in your head, right? I planned a bunch of stuff for myself as well, but never depended on it--some things have turned out better than I could have imagined, and others, well, I'm still waiting :-)

Let your daydreams be part of your reality for yourself, and just try to be happy in the moment (easier said than done).....you won't be dissapointed.