It’s time for a favourite exercise of mine: daily life dreaming. 

Get out a big sheet of paper, or fill in a blank weekly spread from your planner.

Next, dream out your ideal week. But there’s a catch – you can include only elements of daily life from your favourite fictional worlds.

Consider this your invitation to dine with singing cutlery if you wish – your fictional Obsessions are your menu. Design an impossible daydream of your daily life!

My Impossible Daydream, Inspired by Fiction

Breakfast from Gossip Girl

Give me waffle parties in Brooklyn or bounteous spreads of pastry and fruit on the Upper East Side.

Morning Mountaineering from Brave

A gallop and climb through the Highlands is an exercise routine that actually sounds fun.

Reading with Village Sheep from Beauty and the Beast

Pleasure reading outdoors, with the village sheep coming by to say hi.

Posting letters in the Hogwarts Owlery from Harry Potter

A hike up to the Owlery to hang out with the birds seems much more pleasant than queuing at the post office. 

Emma’s Parisian Workspace from One Day 

A simple, well-lit studio flat in Paris is the highlight of this film. An idyllic, cosy space to write.

Solo afternoon tea service and art gallery wanders with Blair Waldorf

We’re still in Paris, where Blair Waldorf goes on solo summer trips, visiting her favourite paintings and orders a full tea service for one.

Traveling through nature in a pink dress, saddle shoes, and beret from Moonrise Kingdom

Suzy Bishop wanders in style.

After-school Milkshakes from Riverdale

A favourite booth at a familiar diner, with the most decadent milkshakes shared among friends.

End-of-day Tea Gathering from Little Women

Meg prepares the tea-table, Beth practices piano, and Marmee swaps her wet boots for warm slippers.

Seasonal Celebrations from Stars Hollow

I’d stop by to see what cheesy and elaborate ode to the current season is going on in the town square.

Dinner in the Great Hall.

Obviously. Feasting and treacle tart please.

Evening Reading and Guitaring by Campfire light from Captain Fantastic

End the day in the forest, reading novels and playing instruments by campfire

Midnight in Paris

Looks like we’re back in Paris for flappers and philosophers. 

What I learned

Through this exercise, I am reminded of my priorities for tea and desserts, reading in scenic settings, spending time outdoors, and Parisian style living.

The Lesson

Daydreaming is perfectly acceptable. In fact, it’s an essential tool for letting yourself identify what you truly want.

Make sure you dream as fully and vividly as possible by inviting in the impossible.

What aspects of daily life from fiction do you want to borrow for your own ideal life?

For more on daily life dreaming, join me in Everyday Wonderland, my weekly one-minute programme for finding magic in your daily life, away from screens.

P.S. I would love to hear your Impossible Daydream. You may find this exercise fun, silly, or hopefully both! Help your fellow heroines in normalising impossible daydreaming by sharing yours. Please feel free to write your own blog post with this template, or snap glimpses of your Impossible Daydream on Instagram (Tag me @heroinetraining so I can dream with you!).