And here are the 10 principles that have helped me succeed in my wildest projects.
For those who missed the big picture of the 10 principles, here is the link🙂
The second is clarity, focusing on the horizon, not our shoes.
6 ideas and tools to master it.
Does it help the boat to go faster?
That’s the question from Ben Hunt Davis, captain of the English men’s national rowing team in 2000.
Keeping the big picture in mind is the equivalent of a superpower in a world where it’s increasingly difficult to focus on the essentials.
It lets you stay clear even when everything is going crazy around you.
By the way, the English team won the Olympic Games in 2000 in Sydney.
But what we get by looking far ahead is not reserved for the sports or business elite. It applies to our everyday life.
When we are clear about our role as parents, son, husband, project manager… It allows us to adopt better behaviors daily.
By keeping the big picture in the center, we progress faster.
And as the next point will show us, it’s a process that starts with ourselves but significantly impacts others…
Living with intention to better enjoy the present
“Remember when we went to Europa park. You’d walked into…”
My niece, who is 18 years old, recently reminded me of this good memory we had together 7 years ago.
But what does that have to do with clarity and the ability to project? 🙂
In 2016, I began the process of creating my life plan inspired by reading “Living Forward, a proven plan to stop drifting and get the life you want .”
One of my focuses was to get to know my nieces better. Over the next 5 years, we organized a day together once a year.
When you ask, “Who do I want to become?” you give yourself a chance to focus on the essential things.
Projecting yourself allows you to enjoy your present and ask better questions.
The following point highlights this…
The power of a question
“What are all the experiences and problems that I have to learn about and master so that what comes out at the other end is somebody who is ready and capable of becoming a successful CEO?”
That’s the question Nolan Archibald asked himself when he was still a student. It helped him become the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 company and hold that position for 24 years.
We don’t need to become Olympic champions or CEOs, but we all need clarity to live the life we want.
When we buy a new blue car. It’s starting to show up everywhere. There are no more than before. It’s just our mind focusing on it.
And the same goes for the opportunities that interest you.
When our vision is clear, we see them everywhere.
But what is the alternative to creating our vision?
We always believe in something
Tony Robbins tells this story in Awaken the Giant Within.
Two women arrive at the age of 70.
One “says”, I am coming to the end of my journey.
The other decides to start a new passion. Mountaineering. Hulda Crooks is one of the oldest alpinists to have climbed Mount Fuji. She passed away at the age of 101.
And here is her program at 80 years old…
“Early to bed and early to rise. Out jogging about 5:30am. Jog a mile and walk it back briskly. It takes me 12 minutes to jog the mile and 15 minutes to walk it. Do some upper trunk exercises, work in the yard, and walk to the market, and work” — Hulda Crooks
We always believe in something, so it’s best to be proactive.
And when we think about it, we often do it for our professional life
As architects, sailors, and project managers, we raise our eyes toward the horizon and wonder:
“What do I want to deliver at the end of my project.”
It seems evident to us. It works for part of our responsibilities, but we rarely apply it to other facets of our lives. And yet, if asked, these other parts rank right up in our priorities.
The tools below allow us to bridge this gap and reflect on our lives globally.
Hero On A Mission: A Path To A Meaningful Life By Donald Miller
But I’ve observed that sometimes “a life plan” is too intimidating. So, in front of what seems impossible, we give in. If this is your case, I’ve another solution for you…
A simple and easy way to get started
Marshall Goldsmith’s talent is to simplify what seems to be very complex. And he has done it again with this simple and easy-to-apply concept. The triple A.
Take a piece of paper, a digital note… Whatever you want 🙂 and develop the following points:
Aspiration:
- What is my ideal?
- What kind of person do I want to be?
You don’t need an end date. You don’t need a plan. Just ask yourself the questions.
Ambitions:
To move towards this ideal, what objectives do I wish to achieve?
Or, in my current goals, how could I insert a small part of my ideal?
It could be a behavior you want to change or a new habit you want to integrate…
Activities :
- What are my priorities for the quarter?
- What are my priorities for the day?
The more we can align our ambitions and activities with our aspirations, the closer we are to happiness.
And no matter how well we do, we’re always making progress by measuring ourselves against where we started.
Your triple-A (or life plan) does not have to be perfect. They need to be started. These are documents in progress. When inspiration strikes, you adjust them. They become a kind of backbone that keeps you focused on the things that are important to you.
Conclusion
It’s never too late, as Hulda Crooks has shown us.
It’s never too early as when we were children and dreamed of our future. 🙂
There is no good time to start doing this. Let’s not get lost in the maze of (tactical) methods. Let’s start with what makes the most sense to us, and we’ll have time to improve on the road.
This exercise requires courage, which is precisely the third principle I will explore next week. “Courage: dare to commit to your dreams without knowing how to achieve them”
See you soon.
Dror
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In the same series :
- 10 principles that helped me achieve my dreams…(And that could help you achieve yours). Part 1
- Part Two
- Take 100% responsibility: the first principle to succeed in your wildest projects
- Clarity: focus on the horizon, not on our shoes. The second principle to succeed in your wildest projects
- Courage: dare to commit to your dreams without knowing how to achieve them.
- We have all the time we need to make our dreams come true
PS: Whenever you are ready, here are 2 more ways I can help you accelerate your growth through coaching:
- You are an individual: you have a penchant for action. You’ve achieved a lot. And yet you want more. Curious? Let’s connect for a free call and see if we can work together
- You want to be coached in the workplace: I help successful leaders become even better. And you only pay me if you succeed (yes, I am serious). Curious? Let’s connect for a free call and see if we can work together
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