Turning Dreams Into Reality

Turning dreams into reality involves some luck. Organizations often discount the role of luck in strategic outcomes. You can’t plan your way into getting struck by lightening. Luck does play a roll in our success, but luck was never meant to be a strategy.

If you are using luck as a strategy you will soon be living a fantasy.

“Dreams plus Luck” is in the same camp as winning the lottery.
“Dreams plus a Learning Agenda” is a commitment to a reality.

Dreams are highly beneficial when accompanied by action.  But dreams without action enable people to live in a world of make believe.  A dream without a plan is soon exposed.

“When the tide goes out, you discover who’s been swimming naked.” – Warren Buffet

Dreaming with a learning agenda directs our intention towards what’s most important to us.  John Kotter has said there are two kinds of people in the world:

• those who accept their life, and
• those who lead their life.

Some people just get up, look at their life, and hope something good will happen. They are saying, “I hope I get lucky.”  The successful person says, “I’m going to make something happen.  I’m going to build on trust; make that relationship work; take control over the things I have influence over; lead my life; create a personal learning agenda that will help fulfill my dreams. AND, I’ll be alert to, and take advantage of all the lucky breaks that come my way.”
Their thought process goes like this:

• Clearly noticing what’s possible
• Seeing specifically what I want to achieve
• Building upon good decisions along the way
• Strategically thinking about tactics to get things done and change minds
• Valuing the trust and respect of the people around me

So how do you create a learning agenda that will help you fulfill your dreams? For starters, ask “What is the gap between what I know or the skills I have and the information or the skills I need to actualize my dream?”  Then follow these five steps:

1. Determine your goals and ask yourself: Where do I want to be next year? What do I need to do to accomplish these goals?  Your answers become your learning agenda.
2. Assess the skills or knowledge you’ll need.  Some goals won’t require new skills or knowledge, but others will.  What specific skills do you need to make your dream(s) come true?  What skill that you already possess needs to be improved?
3. Explore the best sources.  Is it going back to school?  Enrolling in a training course offered by your employer? Developing a relationship with mentors and/or coworkers who can teach you new skills or insights? Look for that optimal source for every skill you decide you need to learn.
4. Create your learning agenda. You now have the information, so start creating your learning plan.  It should lay out the skills and knowledge you need to acquire.  It should include a timeline and be in writing.
5. Execute.  Let the fun begin. The sooner you get going, the sooner you’ll learn the knowledge and skills you need to enjoy and achieve your goals!

Be aware of some subtle traps. Avoid these….

• I’m too young. 
• I’m too old. 
• I don’t have the time. 
• I don’t have the money.

These doubts are common to all of us.  One of the best ways to fight your doubts is to be clear on where you want to go.  Life’s what ifs will move you towards your worst nightmare.  Clarity will move you towards your dream.

You are putting a stake in the ground. It’s solid.

As you look at your dreams, don’t choose the hardest or the easiest.  Choose the most important.  When you create dreams that align with your purpose you will discover overlap in a number of areas of your life.

In the words of Seth Godin:

“Change that’s worth doing is change that most other people are afraid of. It’s change that other people fear won’t work or that will lead to ridicule. You know you are onto something when you find the tension, when you find the dissent, when you find people who say ‘that’s insane.’ You were taught in school to do what you were told. But you will not be rewarded for that going forward.”

“The best luck of all is the luck you make for yourself.” – Douglas MacArthur

Work with a Business and Life Management Coach to Achieve your full potential today! Book a complimentary session at www.denisedema.com


Source:LeadershipTraq

Overcoming Limiting Beliefs

Self-limiting beliefs are everywhere and a part of all of us, to greater or lesser degree. The keys to overcoming many of these are first recognizing them, then understanding how we got them, and take action to banish them through sustained activity. Start by taking these steps.

“Self-limiting beliefs are everywhere and a part of all of us, to greater or lesser degree,” says Bruce Frankel, author of What Should I Do With the Rest of My Life? “The keys to overcoming many of these are recognizing them, understanding how we got them, and then banishing them through sustained activity.” - See more at: http://www.success.com/article/doubtbusters-erase-self-limiting-beliefs#sthash.gTRnef19.dpuf

“Self-limiting beliefs are everywhere and a part of all of us, to greater or lesser degree,” says Bruce Frankel, author of What Should I Do With the Rest of My Life? “The keys to overcoming many of these are recognizing them, understanding how we got them, and then banishing them through sustained activity.” - See more at: http://www.success.com/article/doubtbusters-erase-self-limiting-beliefs#sthash.gTRnef19.dpuf

Isolate The Belief

First consider what the belief is that is limiting you. Many of us make limiting choices without realizing that they are based on flawed, limiting beliefs.

Find times where you have done something (or not done something) that seemed to limit you in some way. Then ask 'What beliefs led to this choice?' Keep digging, asking 'What belief underlies that belief?' until you come to the limiting belief or beliefs.

Also consider what concerns or frightens you and so limits you. What do you fear? Why? What beliefs lead you to such fears?

Seek The Source

Think back to when you first had the belief. When did you first belief this? What happened for you to believe it?

Were you told to believe it by someone? Was it a parent, teacher, or maybe someone who was not thinking kindly about you.

Was it based on an experience? Did you try something once, failed and then formed the belief that you were incapable? Or that 'other people' think in certain ways?

Recognize The Falsehood

In doing the above steps, you may already realize that the limiting belief is just that: a belief which is both limited and limiting. You are holding it because you were told to or because it helped you once.

Take time to reflect on this and recognize the full extent of the belief, how false it really is and especially how it has limited you in the past. Feel free to get angry about this.

In doing this, you may need to accept that you are not perfect, which can be disconcerting (beware of limiting beliefs here also). You must be open to learning and ready to change.

Form Empowering Beliefs

When you want to change a belief, you may well need an enabling belief which will replace the old one.

Be careful with these, making them realistic and not setting yourself up for disappointment. It can be more effective, for example, to believe that you can do public speaking than to immediately believe you are world-class at it. If you lack a skill that needs to be learned, believing you now have it is likely to lead to problems. It is better to believe you are able to learn (which is one of the most empowering beliefs you can have). Believing 'I can' can be more powerful than thinking 'I am'.

In a similar vein, if you thought you’re not smart enough, notice the different between thinking that as opposed to being intelligent. The trick is to consider where the belief will take you, what will it let you think and do, and what evidence will it create, as in the next step.

Create Evidence of Success

The most powerful and unshakeable beliefs are those that are based on lots of evidence. So now you have recognized and challenged you limiting beliefs and found empowering beliefs, then you need to start creating evidence.

Depending on what it is, you may be more sensible to start small. If you believed that you could not talk with strangers, try starting with simple politeness, saying 'thank you' and 'after you', which immediately show that actually you can talk to strangers. Then build up with brief small-talk, such as about the weather or sports.

When you see a success, no matter how small, use this affirmation. Tell yourself 'I did it!' and reflect on how you are now a changed person, with no way back. When you have done something new, it cannot be undone.

Keep building evidence until the limiting belief seems daft and you are now comfortable in your new belief. Determination and persistence are critical in this. 

Achieve Your Full Potential! Book a complimentary session at Business and Life Management Coaching to get the support you need to excel in your professional and personal life.