---
title: "Making space to dream"
url: https://sam-page.com/thinking/making-space-to-dream
date: 2026-11-07
author: Sam Page
type: Post or article
categories: [Founder life and leadership, People and behaviour]
reading_time: 6 min
summary: "As children we dream all the time. As adults most of us stop. Why I think making space to dream is one of the most useful things you can do, for yourself, the people you lead and your…"
copyright: © Sam Page. All rights reserved.
---

# Making space to dream

Dreams lead to amazing things. I don't mean the dreams you have at night. I mean the ones where you believe you can do something incredible.

As children we find them all the time, and we believe in them completely. Then somewhere along the way most of us stop. Life fills up, work fills up, and the space to dream gets squeezed out.

I think that's one of the biggest missed opportunities there is. If you can make the space to dream, to dream bigger, and then to make those dreams a reality, you can have a positive impact on the world and the people around you.

My dream is that everyone, no matter where they have come from, can follow their dreams and thrive in a way that positively impacts others.

## First, a bit about me

As a child I was incredibly shy. I was terrified of doing new things and meeting new people. I remember feeling scared every day in the school playground.

I was very fortunate to have a family who gave me support, belief and, most importantly, the space to do things in my own time. That space let me be full of dreams about doing big things that would make a difference.

But I'm dyslexic, and I didn't fit the linear model at school. I kept finding I couldn't bring my ideas to life through the things our education system relies on.

Then my dad borrowed a computer from work, and something miraculous started to happen. Code, a language built around logic, made sense where writing never had. I could bring my ideas to life with technology, and use it to help other people.

At 18 I built a website for the Suffolk Dyslexia Association to promote the amazing work they do. Then I launched Being Dyslexic, which became the largest online community of dyslexic people and has since grown into [The Dyslexia Shop](https://www.thedyslexiashop.co.uk), a business run by my family. That pattern has played out ever since: using creative technology to help people solve problems and achieve their ambitions.

At university, with lots of ideas and no idea how to make them happen, I wrote to Richard Branson for advice. [He wrote back](/thinking/this-is-a-letter-i-received-from-richard-branson): find good people you can trust, and be prepared to take risks. It's still some of the best advice I've had about turning a dream into something real.

## Space is more than time

So how do you make space? Spoiler alert: finding more time is only part of it.

Space is about finding the right balance for you. Mental capacity, positive energy, and something to feed your imagination. That's what you need to find your dreams, and then to follow them.

Everyone's approach will be different, and it will probably change over time. Here's mine, in case something in it helps.

## How I make space for myself

It starts with personal growth. Understanding who I am, and using that to make better decisions based on my values and purpose. Living in line with them gives me more energy and more space.

Most days start with a couple of hours where I exercise, journal and read. The principles come from Robin Sharma's The 5AM Club. I'm a bit obsessed with reading and personal development, and this is where most of it happens.

I spend time with new people and change my environment, because it helps me see things I'd otherwise miss.

I try to give. Volunteer for a charity, help a neighbour, do something kind for a friend or family member. It's amazing how much it lifts you and frees up your head. The more you give, the more you gain. It's a big part of why I chair [Kingston Giving](https://www.kingstongiving.org.uk/).

And I try to lean into my fears, because that's usually where the greatest opportunities are.

It can look like all of this uses space up. For me it does the opposite.

## Making space for the people you lead

Whether you run a company, a team, a charity or a start-up, you have a huge influence on how much space the people around you have to dream.

Almost every successful organisation started as a dream. A dream to help people by solving a problem, or by giving them something new. The ones that thrive stay true to that dream, or create new and even bigger ones along the way. That needs people with the space to dream in the first place.

Happy people do their best work. When Ed and I started [7DOTS](https://www.7dots.com), we wanted a healthy work-life balance for everyone. Sensible hours, a more balanced life, and the best of people when they are at work. Over the years we've added a wellbeing programme, workshops on resilience, burnout and personal growth, and paid leave for everyone to support a cause that matters to them.

Culture matters as much as any policy. A team lunch on Fridays, a run club and Monday night football sound small, but they build the trust and team spirit that ideas need. So does a culture that encourages thinking and learning, with roles shaped around what people are brilliant at, or want to get better at.

## Making space for your customers

Every experience you create has an effect on the people who use it, and I believe it should be a positive one. That might mean removing a frustration, making something more enjoyable, or slowing things down so someone can make a better decision. Put people first and you give them a little more space for the things that really matter to them.

Let me put my commercial hat on for a moment. If you're having that kind of positive impact on your customers, they're going to choose you over others.

A good example is the digital experience we created at 7DOTS for The English Vine. It helped people discover English wine and find the right bottle for them, whatever the occasion or budget. Buying became simple and enjoyable. People loved the experience, and they loved the wine.

Commercial hat back off.

## Please don't stop dreaming

I don't think there's anything more rewarding than finding the space to dream, and then following those dreams. It brings happiness, a sense of achievement and the energy to do more. And it gives you a bigger impact on the people around you.

Imagine a world of people with more space to dream. They dare to dream bigger, and they dare to follow those dreams. That's a world full of people who are thriving, in a way that's good for others and for the planet.

If that's a world you'd like to be part of, I'd love to hear from you. I'd love to hear your dreams, especially the personal ones. And whatever you do, please don't ever stop dreaming.