10 Principles That Helped Me Achieve My Dreams…(And That Could Help You Achieve Yours)

• Be proactive(Habit #1-Stephen R. Covey.)
• “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. —Viktor E. Frankl.”

There are a thousand ways to present it, but they all converge toward this state of mind.

No matter what happens, I take charge.

Life sends us its share of difficulties, and we are not (always) responsible for them…

But we can interpret these trials in a way that helps us (and those around us) move forward.

The primary question you are answering here is “Who do I want to become?”

It’s an ideal. You’ll never reach it. At least, I hope so 😀
Because the idea here is to try to improve every day.

My ideal: Become the best version of myself and help others achieve what they want.

It’s not perfect, every day is a do-over, sometimes I get close, sometimes I lose track completely.

But the main thing here is the long-term ideal. It helps me to see more clearly, filter my options and become a better person every day.

The idea is to commit to projects that interest you, and that help you move towards your ideal.

I was 23 years old. It was my first corporate job.

I came from a sports career and had no degree.

Rationally, I was not the ideal candidate for a career.

But I had learned to dream far and wide through my reading.

And I wanted to succeed in business.

I made a mind map. On one of the branches, I wrote to become general manager of a subsidiary of the group.

Fourteen years later, I was offered my first position as general manager.

But success or failure is not the most important thing. My corporate adventure is part of a larger ideal.

“Becoming the best version of myself”

My corporate career has developed my intellect, my ability to communicate and create with others. This project has made me grow as a person.

Note that it took a while (14 years), but who cares 😀(you’ll understand why with the next point.)

“I don’t have time.”

“I feel like I don’t have a minute to myself.”

Our way of seeing time often stretches us.

But the further you learn to look, the more you get a sense of time.

• 5 years = 20 quarters
• 10 years = 40 quarters
• 25 years = 100 quarters

The question is not, “do I have enough time?” But instead, “How long do I need to make it happen?”

And if you look away, you have all the time you need…

But be careful, having time does not mean waiting passively…

This is where rhythm makes its entrance with Mr. Quarter…😀

To move towards my ideal, to realize my project, what are the 3 to 5 things I want to focus on this quarter?

The long view helps you focus on the ideal (who?) and/or on a big dream. (what?)

The quarterly view helps you focus on what you’ve decided to achieve. (what?)

There is a principle that says, “Measure twice, cut once.”

I’ve never taken the time to learn how to DIY until now, but since I have plenty of time , maybe it will be part of a period in my life 🙂

But for the practice of living aligned with your dreams, I would say:

“Choose the right measure, and review frequently.”

Even when you’ve decided to change, even when you’re super clear, you’ll run into many distractions that try to divert you.

This is where “Choose the right measure, and review frequently” comes in:

• How I measure: I have two options. Either I measure myself against the results. Either against my progress. The first one creates frustration. The second is motivation.
• When I review. As with principle #4, rhythm is essential. Less than 5 minutes a day, 15 minutes a week, and 90 minutes a quarter are more than enough to stay focused on your dreams.

Yes, yes I assure you…

You’ll meet plenty of them 🙂

I can even tell you what will happen.

1. Thanks to the ideal and the projects, you have gained clarity.
2. Through action, you exercise your courage (never nice before, but so good after) and develop your confidence.
3. And then, the first pitfalls will come, and your clarity, courage, and confidence will go out the window. So quickly that you’ll wonder if they had been there at all 🙂

This is where coaching can be (also) beneficial. And when I say coaching, you can go through a professional to accompany you in this step and all the ones before and after, or you can self-coach or do a mix of both.

How?

Taking quality time to reflect on what just happened using the power of questions.

• What do I really want?
• What makes it a problem/opportunity now?
• What are the dangers I need to eliminate?
• What are the opportunities I need to capture?
• And lots of other interesting questions that you can customize to the situation you’re in.

Your journal, a coach, both are your best allies…

Our most interesting projects include the others.

Our ideal, in one form or another, is correlated to the people we love.

Whether in a personal or professional relationship, understanding this principle makes everything else easier.

But in reality, it’s not about understanding, it’s about applying.

And here, we enter the difficulty of changing behavior in adulthood.

Easy-to-understand steps that are difficult to apply in an exchange:

• Try to understand first. (listen)
• Make sure you understand. (rephrase)
• If you have a different perspective, ask if you can share it. (permission)
• Be creative and courageous. Look together for a new way to satisfy both sides.

I involve others in my desire to reach my ideal.

“Give me two suggestions on how to be a better dad/husband?’ (warning, you may be surprised at the answers 🙂 )

“I’m looking to achieve X. What would be your two suggestions?”

I discovered and learned this concept late in my executive coaching training with Marshall Goldsmith and his teams.

Changing is hard, but changing the perception of the people around you is even harder.

This simple process increases your chances of success.