Making sure your dreams are big enough ………….
I am a dreamer, always have been, always will be, from girl to woman. Don’t think I would have the life I have today, without them. So, if you are one of life’s dreamers, you might as well make your dreams as big as you possibly can; to include your aspirations, your values, your beliefs, what lies at your core and anything else you might want to chuck in there.
‘Make it so big that it crowds out all doubt and uncertainty.’ — Dave O’Connor
But, and this is a big but, choose wisely who you share them with. Don’t scatter your dreams and aspirations to the wind, hoping that that whoever catches them will immediately be rooting for you. Don’t just give them away, it’s not the doubters, or nay-sayers that worry me so much, more the people who can kill of dreams with their kindness and concern. They mean well, I’m sure but somehow…..
Six years ago, I wrote a piece on values and how they might be related to a process called ‘Core Process’, designed and developed by Chris Bull, Robin Coates and Calvin Germain, to help individuals identify and articulate their personal mission. Their ideas were in turn based on, Clark and Krone’s Open Systems Approach to organisations and their purpose, (1).
So, whatever your ‘Process’ is and each of us have one, it is described simply as a two-word phrase, the first word being a verb, the second a noun. Examples of individual Core Process include; Creating Harmony, Promoting Peace, Creating Order and Lighting Fires.
The whole point of ‘Core Process’, is to identify that ‘something’ that excites, engages and energises you, but also that ‘something’ that runs through you like writing through a stick of rock. Doesn’t matter how chewed the rock gets, the writing remains.
It’s likely that’s it’s related to your core values and something that shows up in most areas of your life, both consciously and unconsciously. A trainer colleague of mine used to relate the story of one delegate on their course, who seemed to be always tidying and straightening up the training room. It then turned out their core process was ‘Creating Order’.
Mine was identified over seven years ago but then it felt ‘too out there’ for me to pursue or share. So, much so that in my original post, I chose to reword it, so it was in the same ‘ballpark’ but sounded more sensible, more corporate and not quite so ‘Woo Woo’.
Fast forward to today, and I’ve come to realise and accept that it is a very big part of who I am, it’s not going anywhere despite my attempts to ignore it. It is determined to play a ‘big part’ in my dreams and aspirations and any attempts to ‘ignore’ it, or ‘down- play’ it, just will not work. So, what is it?
Releasing Freedom ………
Freedom has always been a big value of mine, freedom to study, freedom to choose, freedom to learn, freedom to live, freedom to dream but now I am taking full ownership of my ‘Process’ and recognising that for me at least it needs to be released.
And I think it…….
· Explains why I have become increasingly impatient and frustrated with the ‘world of work’ as I see it. I would genuinely love to see more people moving across from earning money for their time to building wealth for their futures.
· Explains why I was so excited to stumble across the idea of universal Basic Income and the scope I see in it to release human talent and potential. Our current way of working, expecting everyone to exchange time for money, in my view is unsustainable. At some point work as we know it will stop working. And don’t even get me started on Artificial Intelligence.
· There is also an environmental argument to be made, it will no longer make sense to continue paying people to make stuff, a large percentage of which is likely to end up in Landfill.
· Explains why I have become more concerned and focused on finding ways to actively thrive. Asking people to merely survive is not an acceptable option.
· Explains why I am thinking more in terms of how people can prepare for their long-term futures and not just their careers.
· Explains why I feel compelled to spend time by the beach, reading, writing, social media-ing and dreaming.
· Explains my fascination with all thing’s social media, I see so much potential and opportunity here for individuals and communities to create, build and share.
· Explains why I have always been more interested in resilience and people being able to take full ownership and control of their careers.
· Explains why I am probably largely unemployable (in the traditional sense), at this stage of my life and career.
· Explains why I was initially so intrigued and attracted to network marketing and the potential I thought I saw here. Not quite so convinced today, but maybe we haven’t found the right model yet.
· Explains why I may not be the right coach for you if you are focused on a more ‘traditional’ career path, however I may well be right for you, if you want to ‘bust out’.
· Explains why I am more interested in ideas and creativity, less interested in stuff and that is saying something from an ex-engineer.
· Explains, largely why I am me.
So, what is my vision, my dream?
To be honest, it’s not fully in focus but once it is, I do know it’s going to be as big as I can possibly make it. Notice how I’m following my own advice I will say this though writing will be slap bang in the middle and I’ll make sure there’s plenty of room for it.
Not unlike Mr Magorium in response to his doctor’s query, in the film Mr Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, ‘making sure I have enough space to sleep’ while the Eric Applebaum character creates a ‘real’ night sky for him in hospital.
Make sure you have enough space to dream.
Until next time.
Janice Taylor
www.blueskycareerconsulting.co.uk
Adapted from an original post in Careerresilience, June 2016.
References:
(1) Core Process article by Nick Heap
(2) Guy Standing, Basic Income: And How We Can Make It Happen
(3) Rutger Bregman, Utopia for Realists
