Dreams, Goals, Tasks…

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.

Extend yourself

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.

Be quiet

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.

The quiet mind is a powerful mind.
The quiet mind is a clear mind.
The quiet mind is the permeate source and engine house for you to discover your endless potential.

Just be quiet.

What is being open-minded?

We say to be open is a pleasant trait. Therefore, we all strive to be an open-minded person.

What is exactly being open-minded?

Being open is an altitude. It’s an altitude towards work and life. Being open provides you more opportunity to see things in many angles, with more possibilities and options. It also provides you more opportunities to connect with people, to get closer to the truth of a matter, to get more accuracy to do things.

Does open-minded mean you have to listen to others all the time? Most of the time? Or some of the time?

It really depends…

Being a leader, you may need to be more open in order to get fuller evaluation of a situation. Therefore, you will get better judgement and reduce the chance for potential risk. You can make decisions quickly for smaller things, but with open discussion and debate for bigger (fewer) decisions.

Jeff Bezos said “People who are right a lot listen a lot, and they change their mind a lot.”

He believes that if you do not change your mind frequently, you are going to be wrong a lot.

Therefore, being open means you need to be ready to change your minds, to face tough situations, to embrace the pain to grow stronger.

Being open-minded is not a show. It gets to be from the bottom of your heart. Only then, you can learn, grow, and get better for what you do.

Live truly for yourself with a growth-mind, ie, an open-mind.

Work with purpose

We all want to have the drive for a good work.

However,

Some days we are not clear what we do will deliver our expected results or not. Some days we are frustrated by many meticulous things in life and at work. Some days we are distracted… or tired…

we are human.

To have a good day of work is to know your purpose every day. Every time you feel not clear about what you do. You will need to take a break and dig deep to think your purpose of work.

Because every moment is unique. Once it passes, it’s gone forever. To make our work enjoyable, we need have a purposeful doing. This will make us feel meaningful, energize us and have a good day.

You could have a few times a day, say five moments, to pause, reflect, meditate, looking for bigger picture, appreciate… realign your work with your purpose.

Each moment could last a few minutes, or even some seconds. It can make a big difference to your quality of work.

Work with purpose.

Priming yourself

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.

What is your story?

You made New Year’s resolutions. You could not keep them to the end of the year.

You made goals and milestones for your work. You did not carry on to complete them.

You have dreams and ambitions. You haven’t started your actions to pursue them…

These sound familiar, right?

What did happen there? What stories did you tell yourself? Did you realize you were tell yourself something when you stoped action as you planed?

May be you heard that you were telling yourself that today I felt tired, I need a break; or you were telling yourself that this is so hard, why not enjoy my life instead…; or you were telling yourself that why should I work that hard when someone else can cheat and get away with it…; or you were telling yourself that I have my dream, but I can do something about it on another day….and another day never comes.

If you do not catch the small talks you have with yourself. You may be drafting, wondering and wasting your time and your life.

What is your life purpose?

Socrates said that an unexamined life not worth living.

Take a pause, reflect what you have been doing and what you have been telling yourself. Take meditation, evaluate your life.

Only when you begin listen to yourself, examine if your stories are in alignment with your life purpose, you then can redirect your energy and your focus to where you want to go.

Get your stories right. Go with your stories.

Live your best now

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.

Hold your stake

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.

Find your rhythm

Life is a marathon, which does not end as long as you live.

We may run very fast sometimes. We may need stop to have some foods, drinks, and rest, in order to continue our marathon.

We need plan methodically about our life and work – find that pace, that rhythm , that balance suits us for different segments of our journey,

Our purpose and goals in life are our compass. How to get there is our tactics. We need trial and error to figure out our tactics – the system or structure for our routines, so that we can work hard and have enjoyable time as well.

Find your rhythm:

Plan your day: goal of the day? morning routine, evening routine, divide your day into different blocks, each block has its focused point…
Plan your week: what is the goal of the week? Divide it into five sub-goals for the week…
Plan your weekend: recap? Recharge? Or build up social connections?
Plan your month: goal of the month? Divide it into sub-goals for each week…
Plan your six month: goal of the half year? Divide it into monthly goal…
Plan your goal of the year: divide it into six month goal…

Your rhythm building plan may include these areas: your career, your personal growth plan, your milestones, your health maintaining plan, your social networking plan, your relationship with your significant other, your relationships with your other family members and friends, your financial plan, your leisure plan.

Where are you for the above areas? Where would be your ideal position for each area? How are you to get your ideal position if there is a gap for any of the area?