I wear a necklace with a triangle on it.

Since some people have been asking about the triangle and what it means, I thought you might be curious, too.

I bought the necklace in 2016 to celebrate milestones in running the TriFilm Society. It’s important, IMHO, to celebrate your accomplishments because life itself – never mind chasing your dreams – is incredibly challenging.

The TriFilm Society Fall Social was held at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University in 2016.

The TriFilm Society is something I started in 2009 as a way to support my fellow filmmakers. I’ve been hosting networking events, collaborating with local organizations, developing new programs, and supporting my peers for years. It’s a lot of fun. Learn more at trifilmsociety.com.

For those counting, that’s eight years of running an organization – while simultaneously working full time and learning to make my own movies. I also adopted a dog, bought / renovated my first house, got engaged, planned a wedding, moved a bunch, and had some additional huge life-altering things happen in those years.

Yeah, it’s been a busy few years!

At the same time, I think that’s the new normal. Life moves quickly. We have family, friends, jobs, dreams, responsibilities vying for our time and attention. It’s the way things go.

That’s why I personally believe every step counts, no matter how small it may seem at the time. And that’s why I believe in celebrating those little victories, especially if you’re overcoming significant challenges. Gratitude goes a long way, eh?

This also leads us to the notion of taking action.

Are you dreaming about something big?

If you’re also dreaming about something big I highly recommend simply starting. Take action now. Yes, as in, today.

No, really. I mean it. Start anywhere.

Your action may be confessing that dream aloud for the first time, signing up for a class, joining a member organization like TriFilm, adding the next TriFilm social to your calendar or buying a ticket to attend, etc. Don’t over complicate things. But do take action.

There’s the another thing: it really doesn’t matter if your dream is too big. It doesn’t matter if the thing you’re dreaming about is still messy, ugly, less than ideal, not ready for primetime. Don’t use your age, background, lack of connections, doors getting shut in your face, and life experiences as excuses.

None of that matters in the end.

What matters most is taking action.

It’s really powerful stuff.

What about you?

Do you wear something symbolic? Or do you have another way to celebrate milestones? I’d love to hear from you! Use the comments below to tell me how you’re taking action on your own dreams.