When Dreams Change - From Mustang to Minivan

When I was a teenager, I wanted nothing more than to own a Ford Mustang. As a young lad, having a sweet ride was really all I thought about. My cousin who was one year older than me had two of them. Old ones that he was fixing up. A 1968 and a 1973. They were sweet pieces of American muscle car machinery. They were works in progress, but as I watched him work on his cars, I would dream of one day owning my own. Photo Credit: TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³ via Compfight cc

Well, I'm 30 now and I've still never owned a Mustang. It's still on my bucket list, but right now, it's on the back burner. Somewhere along the line, I had to trade in the dream of owning an American muscle car for the American family vehicle... the minivan.

After getting married, buying a house, and purchasing our first vehicle together, I realized that my dreams might have to wait. Love has delayed my dream of owning a Mustang. Love for my wife, love for my daughter, and love for our family as a whole.

The cost of owning a mustang at this point in my life doesn't make sense give our current circumstances. Could I make it happen if I really wanted to? Probably. Would it be the best decision for our family? No.

So, I've traded the dream of owning a mustang for a minivan. And I'm perfectly fine with that at this stage of life for a few reasons...

• Cost of ownership: Mustangs cost more than minivans to purchase, and gas mileage and insurance costs are more as well.
• Practicality: 2 doors with hardly no backseat or trunk, compared to power sliding doors, stow n' go seating, and room for seven? Pssshya! Minivan. Winner.
• Avoid the law: All things being equal, which is more likely to get pulled over? Minivan or mustang?
• Gone in 60 seconds: That movie came out when I was in high school. I don't lose too much sleep worrying about Nicholas Cage breaking into my garage to steal my minivan. But, if I had a mustang, I may need sleeping pills...

Timing is a funny thing, but for some reason, I think I'll have a lot more fun owning a mustang when I'm older. Perhaps when the kid(s?) are out of the house, Kelsey and I can drive a fun little car to go see them. I imagine having an old fixer upper that I can work on (like Zeke in Parenthood). Who knows...maybe my dream will change again before that time comes.

Regardless, I think it's OK for dreams to change. The main reason this dream changed for me was because something more important came along: family. Priorities changed with life transitions, and it's important for me to be intentional with my resources. Because my resources became our resources when I said I do.

Have your dreams evolved over the years? Share in the comments.

P.S. If you're looking for a way to create an intentional plan for your family, check out the Family Playbook. It's a workbook I created to help us dream and set goals a family to make sure we're living lives with intention.

P.P.S. If you buy the digital copy of my book, you can get the Family Playbook for 50% off. Go here for details.