Here’s the digest of the project:
PASSION DOESN’T THRIVE ON COMPROMISE.
YOUR DREAMS DESERVE YOUR ATTENTION.
Dream. Plan. Do. Do it in a sustainable way. (There's a dream strategy for you at the end of this post)
I’m a big dreamer, driven by passion. A visionary with attention to detail and always keeping the bigger picture in sight. Most importantly I’m a doer. Practical. Pragmatic. And that got me thinking…
GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT
What are the big things is life? Don’t ask me that question. It’s too overwhelming. Ok, how about: What would you like to do with your life. Uhm. Same. Ok. The problem with dreams is that most are too scared of them. Some don’t know how to dream big. They don’t even believe they have any, deserve to dream or know their worth. Life can be so overwhelming. We are exposed to all these super human beings who paint this pretty life and sadly facilitate the unobtainable for us. We forget that this also isn’t really ours to own. Lacking the substance – the how do I do this? How do I get there? And what would that be for me?
What is facilitation? How can you live and lead a life that is specific enough for yourself, yet generic enough that others can take valuable insights to create their specific [insert meaning] way of living. How do we ask better questions? More specific questions? How can we get to the core of us? How can we break down fear and uncertainty? How can we champion vulnerability, love, belief (in self) and happiness? How can we add value? How can running (travel, adventure, activity) glue this all together?
THE TOUR
The action piece of the tour – all the places I have travelled and run in the past few weeks – is only just the beginning. Heading out to mountains to train for UTMB, to travel and to place foot up as many mountains as possible is only just a tiny piece of the puzzle. Let’s say it’s the spark of things to come. The experiences shared, lessons learned, the walking the talk bit or just walking without even talking, are building the foundation.
This is a project aimed at longevity and facilitation. It’s dynamic with room for growth (see THE GOAL ISN’T THE GOAL). It’s flexible and it’s shareable. It won’t just be about me, it will also be about you. It will be about us. A joint (ad)venture.
GETTING THINGS DONE
Once the goal is set, there’s hardly anything in the way of achieving it. This includes errors in navigation, detours, setbacks, unexpected adventures, exploring new territory and the alike of course. The way to your dreams isn’t paved. It’s not straight. And most likely not flat. But that makes the journey rather interesting.
WALKING THE TALK
All that talk without the action to follow. There’s the door. Goodbye. Ok, that’s quite harsh. Stay for a little while and tell me what’s holding you back. You have one minute and then we start walking and see where that gets us to. Let’s get real. You can only control what you can control and most likely that’s your behaviour and outlook on things. But you won’t be able to truly unlock your potential if you just sit and brood.
THE JOURNEY IS THE GOAL
It’s always about the damn journey. Once you get it you also get that any challenge you face or set yourself is just about using your skills, tapping into your tool set, learning new things (skills, things about yourself, etc) and growing as a person. Most don’t like what they see or feel, even more don’t dare to talk about it. Getting real is also about communication. Getting real is about being vulnerable and being OK with it.
THE GOAL ISN’T THE GOAL
That one is different to the journey piece. This is about time and how time changes perception. This is about the framework you set before setting out: dream – plan – do (action, huge fan of this). On your way, ok there is a journey element, your goal is most likely to change. It will become clearer, it can become bigger, it can change entirely. The more you deal with it in thought and in action, the more you can define it. And things will take time. What happens over time? You change. You are never the same person you were when you set out. The same person you were yesterday. Just roll with it. First lesson in vulnerability. Not too scary, huh!?
LET’S IGNITE PASSION
What is passion? Hm, I’m sure there are some clever definitions in dictionaries and online. Personally it’s about emotion. It’s about love. It’s about longing. It’s about connection. It’s about infinite energy. Creativity. Endurance. Perseverance. Strength. Drive. Empowerment. Companionship. And much more. Whatever it takes for your to dream – plan – do. Something of an infinite energy resource, something you can always fall back onto. Something that is about you. Something you own.
#JoinTheEuroPeaksTour is a vehicle for your dreams.
Find the key to the world that is yours.
One of my favourite dream strategies –
DREAM LIKE WALT (DISNEY)
How to get the Dreamer, the Realist and the Critic to talk to each other. Creative thinking fostering action. Let’s go:
Best done with paper and pen and space on the floor. Yes, you can dance.
Get four pieces of paper and write in big letters:
THE DREAMER
THE REALIST
THE CRITIC
LEARNINGS + ACTIONS
1. Put them out on the floor in a circle (see images). The LEARNINGS + ACTION one goes in the middle. Each piece is a thinking method. You are going to circle through dreaming and imagination, then realistic thinking and planning, then looking at it all through the eyes of the critic. The final one will be your neutral position. Outside thinking. Objective. Taking everything you have learned from the other three on board.
2. The aim is to find your dreams and create a sound plan for you to step into action. You visualise. You come across problems but you will also find a way to solve them. Remember the aim is to define your goal and to get you to move towards it (make a dream tangible).
3. Establish your dream. You got this. There will be stuff you want in your life. It’s strongly linked to emotions. Something that makes our heart sing. Something you always wanted to do. Leave the but and if. Dream with endless possibilities. If you really can’t find something: think about what frustrates you, what you don’t want in your life. It’s easy to flip it from there: so what do you want to have/ do/ feel instead. There. That’s where we need to go.
4. Make sure it’s good and strong. On a scale of 1-10: 1 being – I really don’t care and 10 being – yes, let’s do this! I’m pumped; you want to get to a 7.5 or higher. Ramp up the excitement. Find more.
3. THE DREAMER – step into that space (physically onto or in front that piece of paper) and think about your dream. Think about it, feel it with passion and enthusiasm, don’t restrict yourself. Ask yourself: What do I want? What can I see, hear, feel? What will I be doing? When will I begin? Where will I be? What are the benefits of achieving my dream? What will this mean to me? Anything is possible. Dream up.
4. Step into THE REALIST – With what you know so far: How can I make this happen? How can I break the dream down into smaller pieces? What skills do I need? What needs to be in place first? What is the timeline on this? Do I need help? Where can I get it from? Can I use what I’ve already got? What stepping stones could be on the way? How do I know I’ve achieved those?
5. And then straight into THE CRITIC – imagine you are now looking at all of your learnings and insights from the position of a critic. What are the weaknesses in the plan? What’s missing? What problems could I be facing? When might this not work? Do I need to adjust the dream? The outcome? The plan?
6. Now step away from the circle and break state: clap your hands, grab some water, sit down, get up, … sounds silly but anything that gets you out of your current thought pattern, silly movements are best. Then step in the circle onto the LEARNING + ACTIONS. Look at what insights you’ve gained on these three positions. Remember the first was the dreaming big with no restrictions, the second the action the third where could I possible run into problems (that also means me not achieving my goal). You are most likely to have to shuffle a few more times through these, in particular two (THE REALIST – plan) and three (THE CRITIC – problem solving). Don’t change the dream unless you now know and feel it could be even better and bigger.
7. See where that gets you to. It’s magical. But you have to go and do it. Some spaces are more natural to us, don’t shy away from the others. For me for example: I am good with the enthusiasm and the dreaming but I am also a realist. So I will always talk myself down. But. But. But. Make sure you keep an open mind and stay constructive.
8. ACTION: (That's the whole point of it) Write down 5 things you can do in the next 5 days to get you closer to your dream. When you are ready also write down your dream (top) and break your plan and steps down into smaller chunks. Interim steps, into a wider base (foundation). See images.
Let me know how you get on, if you have any questions about the technique, the Tour, running or life.
Enjoy dreaming up some stuff!
Claudi
