You have your arrow in a bow. And you are about to shoot it…
How far is your target?
If your target is within certain distance and you aim it well, your arrow will be on the target. However, if your target is too far, your arrow is not going to get there…
This is like your goal setting. If you set your goal too far ahead, you are not going to get there. You need to set up your goal close enough, so that you can reach it.
What is your goal setting look like?
You hear these three words very often: dreams, goals and tasks. What are in common among them?
May be not much. However, they are closely and intricately connected.
We all have dreams. They keep us alive.
Sometimes, we share our dreams with others and we get a sense of accomplishment.
Sometimes, we also share our goals with others and this also provide us a sense of achievement.
But, if you stop or hang over at these stages, it’s not a surprise. Because your psychological mind has played a game with you, ie. it makes you feel you’ve got there after you tell others about your dreams and goals. Therefore, you don’t feel and have the urgency to do anything about them.
The real thing that leads you to realize your dreams and goals is the task.
You need to do your tasks to make your dreams and goals come true.
“I long to accomplish a noble and great task; but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they are noble and great ones.” Hellen Keller.
Find your daily tasks. Every tiny, small tasks will get you closer to your dreams and goals.
You know that you are the sum of your action. Then are you aware what makes you to take action? What are the signals for you to take action?
Just pause for a second…
What did you do before you read my blog? What did make you to read my blog now?
When you reflect this, what picture appears in front of you? May be you can “see” what makes you to do what you do.
There are some signals that may stimulate or trigger you to take action:
When I say that you have extended yourself in life, how do you feel? what do you see yourself look like?
I feel from time to time that I have extended myself… during those time periods, I feel that I have connected to others, connected to the surroundings from my extremities smoothly, no border, no end… I am in a free flow net – I am part of the net…
My reflection tells me that these moments and periods in life are the time when I generously offer myself to others without any string attached. I honestly give my effort to others from a empathetic place, from a compassionate action. I offer others with my emotional labor. These actions make me feel myself and I’m satisfied with what I do.
The offers I give are not forced.
In fact, offers should be given people in needed and people asked for the needs.
I believe that everyone is Naturally Creative, Resourceful and Whole.
With this believe, we give people benefits of doubts. We give people the chances for trial and failure. Because we believe they can create, find their resource and discover their potential on their, or with some help.
With this believe, we connect with people. We get trust from people. Therefore, we extended ourselves by this bonding and connection.
This is how we make our mark in the world. This is how we make a difference. This is how we an impact to others.
Extend yourself today.
We are living in a very noise environment, literally there is loudly sound at malls, in buses, restaurants…
And the fast- paced world distracts us from our focus, our quiet time, makes our mind spin.
We response automatically to things happening to us and around us, because there is little time to think.
Our time is robbed by constant outside distractions, demands and requests. We feel busy every day. It actually gives us a super facial sense of accomplishment…
… till one day,
one day we suddenly feel somewhat empty, realize that we don’t know how to think any more.
We are so good at responding, it becomes our second nature – our habit. We are drifting in life.
We forget who we are, what we want, how to create our values…
This is the time when you need a quite time.
Be quiet.
Listen to your heart: what makes you happy? Who you are? What is your dream? What do you want?
If you want to do one thing today that gives you a big smile, put your mark on it, what would it be?
Listen to your mind: what can make you sing, smile and jump out of bed in the morning? Do one such thing today, tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow…
Find a quiet moment every day.
In the quiet, you will find yourself again.
Just be quiet.
We have dreams. We pint beautiful pictures for our future. We make plans, New Year’s resolutions and promises.
These are good to certain extent. They can make us excited, happy and satisfied momentarily.
Then we get back to where we are, do as we usually do, talk as we normally talk, go the same route back and forth from home to work place.
And we get numbed, bored, and day dreaming our dreams, future and plans.
Only when you take action towards your dream, your resolutions and your plans, you will be a bit closer to them. You will make a little bit change to your life. You will impact a little bit to the people and environment you’ve reached.
A thousands of miles starts with one step at a time.
This is how you can make a difference to your life. Your action will spill over to others and make others’ life different.
The world needs solid people. The world needs people working on their dreams little by little, bit by bit, drip and drip, generously and graciously and empathetically and compassionately.
You become more valuable because you make others more valuable.
After all, you are the sum of your action.
You prime yourself before big events, such as a big exam, a serious presentation, or a tough conversation.
You know it is very important to prepare fully and give your best fully during those important occasions.
How do you do priming on a daily basis?
We encounter many things and need to make hundreds and thousands of decisions daily. We need to be present and do our best to live our true self and happy and fulfilled self. Therefore, we need prime ourselves constantly.
The daily priming does not have to be long or complicated.
You can build up your routine to do priming, for example, in the morning every day. You can do priming every evening if you prefer. You can do the priming during the day when you get a moment, a few minutes – interval, may do the trick. After some practice, you will find your rhythm to get your mind and emotion to be your best,
You can use meditation, yoga, running, walking, reading, writing, self-talking… anything that suits your pace and style to do your priming.
The key of priming is to get yourself to the present, enjoy and fully express yourself.
Priming yourself constantly is a life style. It is the connection and bridge of who are you and what do you want to the present. Priming yourself is the platform to live your life purposely and fully.
When we have something good, we easily want to save it for later. Sometimes, later never arrives.
Actually this is a perfect signal that we need to use this good stuff – it may be a good idea, a good read, a good conversation… whatever it is, you need to act on it.
Only then you are doing your best, you are living your best life freely. You do not hold back from anything. You are stretching, growing and making a difference.
You do not need reservation. If you have anything good, use it, live it.
Live your best life now.
We live a life with a purpose, even though sometimes we are not clear about our purpose. But, we all do live a purposeful life – no exception.
Your purpose in life is your stake.
So, what is your stake in life?
What are the things in you that are true you? And you will never yield or give them up. If you compromise any of them, you will feel you loose yourself. You get to keep these to be intact, to be able to keep your integrity.
That is your stake.
The reality is more complicated than we can prepare for. We are challenged daily for various matters. These matters change our stake. They bring fears to us. They make us feel vulnerable. They make us fell imposters. They also confuse us…
It is imperative to hold your stake, no matter what has happened.
Your stake is your identity. You stake is the truth to yourself. Your stake is your life boat. Your stake gives your hope, energy and clarity.
I don’t compromise my stake because others go low. I don’t compromise my stake because I am tired. I don’t compromise my stake because my boss, my fellow colleagues, or my friends have done so. I don’t compromise my stake because of temporary benefits or promotion…
I need to have a peaceful sleep to hold on my stake. I need to hold my stake to live freely as who I am, which gives me the ultimate happiness.
Hold you stake.
Ships need compass on the sea to get where they need to go.
We need our internal compass to guide us doing things we need to do.
What is our compass?
I feel good when I have a goal in life and at work. Because with a goal in mind it gives me clarity. Clarity empowers me for my action. My action makes me feel I am producing something to the world, showing my value, and getting closer to the goal.
A goal or purpose can be a compass.
I feel engaged with a company when the company’s mission reflects my personal values as well. My engagement with the company makes me looking forward to work each day. I am pumped and happy doing what I do at work.
A mission and our values can be our compass.
What else can be a compass?
What can make you feel meaningful? What would be your calling? What can get you up from the bed every day? What can make you so excited that you get to do it? …
If you can find your answers to any of the questions, you find your compass.
We are running a life-long marathon. We need different compasses for different stages of our life. Therefore, our compass is a moving target. However, this is exactly the fun in life. We get to find it from time to time. That’s how we move forward.
Take a pause sometimes. Check your internal compass. Are you going with the direction of the compass? It would be a much better journey when you go with your internal compass.
WE-FIVE 