Sometimes we walk, non-stop, from point A to point B, before rushing into the next thing. We keep ourselves busy, our agenda is gently full but we can always squeeze something more in. We don’t like to say ‘no’ to cool plans, we want to live life to the max, there are sooo many things to do! – By Pablo Laboreo

Focus

Because we are active, we meet cool amazing people that inspire us to do cool, amazing things =) And, sometimes without being fully aware, we start picturing what we would like to achieve, who we would like to become. Dreams come and go, some crisp and clear, some a bit more foggy. Dreaming is addictive too. And it is easy to get lost among dreams, because usually one dream is followed by another dream. And another dream. And another.

If we try to follow them all – which way to go first? In my case, I said “OK, I will set up a plan: Mondays I will work hard on public speaking skills at Toastmasters. Tuesdays and Saturdays I can do these super good training courses on ecology and physics. Wednesdays I will volunteer in the community garden. And I think on Thursdays I could start studying Dutch…” After a few months reality slapped me in the face: lots of dreams, lots of planning and little progress. Time had come to choose. We all want to change the world. We all can change the world. But one step at a time! Better to pick one, maybe two dreams. Give them a shape and define a concrete, measurable(?) goal. Stick to it. Congratulations: your journey has started.

Does size matter?

You want to change the world. You want to have a great impact, inspire many, challenge the status quo. Yet, eradicating hunger-sort of goal is not the only valid scale. Yes, it looks fancy to have a noble, heroic, ‘wow’ goal. It will make you feel BIG, people will look at you with awe. You’ve got the power! You choose your own reality. But what does the goal mean to you? If you set yourself a goal based on someone else’s expectations or seeking others’ admiration, chances are you will not go very far. Pursuing a goal is hard job – you will need a strong inner drive. And inner drive is triggered by passion and belief, not by size or fanciness. Choose a goal that keeps you warm during the long journey. And you know what? This is just your “first” goal you set in life, more are yet to come (afterwards, if you do well!).

But size can also be related to how tangible your goal is – gaseous goals tend to expand and be hard to measure over time. An inspiring yet abstract goal may slip through your fingers so you never really embrace it, so be as concrete as you can – but do not let it become another task!

How to get there

There is no such thing as the right way – only your own way. 

No doubt each of us need to find our own way to do things, but sometimes a little of inspiration may help. This is what I have done…:

Picture your goal. Got it? You made it there!! What a wonderful feeling, like never before. You are at the top of the world. Give yourself a few seconds to embrace the feeling…

Now take a moment to look back, and think of the journey that brought you here. The people you met, the decisions you made, time reverse –i.e. backwards. Identify 10 key steps that allowed you to make it here. Try to separate them so the gap between one step and the following is big enough to be considered a challenge and small enough to be achieved without many intermediate jumps. Oh and please! Write everything down =)

Now it is time for handcrafting your way towards your goal. Write down a description of each step in post-it notes/coloured paper squares (as many as steps you have [10]). Now, you choose your preferred layout: stepped stairway, vertical line, horizontal series, etc. the importance lies on the order of the steps. Display your steps in a visible wall/mirror, a place you pass through several times a day.

Dear warrior: you just found your own way =)