Let’s explore how to achieve your dreams. Every human has a desired self-image and personal strengths. However, one might waste time focusing more on weaknesses than strengths, and easily become discouraged and give up, even with a clear goal in mind. We will explore why it’s crucial to focus on our strengths and which methods are most efficient for achieving our dreams. Don’t diminish your worth; everyone has strengths.
1. Focus on the person you want to become.
Globally, many people who have become influential and famous in a field have mostly focused on their strengths, gaining wealth and fame in the process. The secret to achieving your dreams lies in your strengths.
1) Celebrities who focused on their strengths
J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, was continuously rejected by several publishers with her first book, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.” However, she did not give up but continued to focus on her strength in writing, believing in herself and persevering, ultimately becoming a global author.
Oprah Winfrey, who created a global talk show, experienced a lot of hardships, including domestic violence and abuse from a young age. Her initial performance as a broadcaster was poor, but she developed her empathy and conversational skills, becoming globally popular.
Michael Jordan, an NBA legend, focused solely on his competitive spirit and basketball skills, becoming a global basketball player. After leading his team to several championships, he briefly retired to play baseball. Though baseball created new physical patterns and muscle changes that made basketball challenging, he returned and still excelled.
Hayao Miyazaki, a famous Japanese animation creator, continued to evolve by sticking to his narrative style and format. Initially working at Toei Animation, he continually honed his strengths and eventually established his own Studio Ghibli.
2) Applying strengths
Even focusing solely on your strengths might not place you in the top 3% of a field. However, when your strengths meet various skills, they can transform into something entirely different.
Steve Jobs, the late founder of Apple, once said about “connecting the dots.” This refers to how new outcomes can emerge when your strengths intersect with diverse experiences.
If you feel you are too weak in an area where you have strengths, think about how you can use your strengths to create a unique expression and make it known to others!
Example) If you have skills in psychological counseling and have learned video editing and storytelling, consider creating psychological counseling content on YouTube.
2. How to achieve your dreams : Focusing on strengths
How to achieve your dreams involves focusing on strengths, but knowing where to start can be daunting. The beginning of how to achieve your dreams includes gaining confidence, finding a life purpose, and identifying the person you want to become.
It can be challenging to determine what you love and what core values are important to you. Refer to the key values mentioned below to discover values that are important to you!
1) Competence-Confidence Loop: Conditions for gaining confidence
Every human has an ideal self-image and lives dreaming about it. However, you might unknowingly belittle yourself or receive negative evaluations from others, leading to giving up. You must overcome this self-repression and societal pressure.
Brandon Burchard, a well-known motivational speaker in the field of self-development, mentions that overcoming self-repression and societal pressure is one of the how to achieve your dreams, through the Competence-Confidence Loop.
The Competence-Confidence Loop is a concept where as you understand a job or a certain thing better, you gain the confidence to push forward without worrying about others’ opinions or thoughts, a crucial concept in achieving your dreams.
Tip) To move forward towards what you want without being swayed by others, you need to improve your skills in the areas you consider important, and simultaneously, your confidence must increase!
2) Finding Life’s Purpose
To apply the Competence-Confidence Loop to yourself, you must first understand what is most important to you. Think about what kind of person you want to become and how you want to live your life.
Brandon Burchard suggests that deciding who you want to become can make you stronger, and that deciding what kind of person to become is much more important than who you are now.
Doing something without a purpose can lead to disillusionment, but if you live focused on who you want to become, things can change. You can adapt yourself to fit your goals.
Tip) Start each morning by thinking of three words that describe your best self. People known as game-changers are thought to reflect words such as passionate, grateful, energetic, warm, loving, influential, dedicated, etc.
3) Finding the Image You Want to Become
Robert Greene, a famous psychologist and author of “The 48 Laws of Power,” suggests that most of us already know what we want to become but have simply forgotten.
As children, everyone has things they pursue and live out the image they want for themselves. However, as we grow older and make career choices, we often make practical decisions based on others’ advice or financial considerations.
Think back to what you were really good at as a child. No one else in the world has the same molecular structure as your DNA; your unique strengths can differentiate you from others.
Consider the method of prioritizing tasks recommended by Dan Sullivan, a well-known business coach, and invest time in what you want to do!
Prioritizing Tasks)
① Tasks that drain my energy
② Tasks I don’t hate, that are important and useful to me
③ Tasks that give me energy and joy
Tip) Identify your innate tendencies and strengths and focus on them. Avoid tasks that drain your energy and invest over 90% of your time in tasks that energize and bring joy to you!
3. The Author’s Thoughts about how to achieve your dreams
Living life can sometimes be tough and painful. Although the writer is not religious, there is a saying from Buddhism that resonates: “Life is suffering,” said by Siddhartha Gautama.
Humans are born not out of their own will but from the choices of their parents, and from a young age, they form beliefs about themselves, others, and the world based on the biological DNA and temperament inherited from their parents.
These beliefs are called unconscious by some and self-identity by others. While it may seem that humans live their lives by choice, many aspects of growing up do not allow that.
The writer believes that being forced to experience what one does not want can be seen as suffering, and to change this, one must focus on and live according to what they truly desire. Personally, I believe that focusing on what you want is the way to achieve your dreams.
When choosing a job or path, neglecting your strengths or avoiding what you truly desire can lead to ongoing regret. Clearly define what you truly want and keep acting towards it!
4. Conclusion and Q&A
We have explored the conditions necessary to gain confidence, the importance of life goals, and methods to find the image you want to become in relation to achieving your dreams. Let’s address frequently asked questions and key points about achieving dreams.
1) How to achieve your dreams?
First, clearly set your strengths and the image you want to become. If you are not clear about what you like and want, you may end up experiencing what you do not want, and your abilities may also decline.
Write down clearly in a notebook what kind of person you want to be, what you are good at, and what you like!
2) What are specific methods to achieve dreams?
Once you have set your strengths and desired image, practice what you can do towards that goal to build knowledge in that area. As your related knowledge increases, so will your confidence.
Also, fill more than 90% of your life with the work you want, and start your day by thinking about the traits of the image you want to become right after you wake up!
For tips on setting goals and identifying what you value or want, refer to the information below!
► Source and Reference Information
[Book] The Organized Mind – Daniel J. Levitin / Wiseberry Publications
[Book] Game Changers – Dave Asprey / Business Books Publishing
[Book] Wherever You Go, There You Are – Jon Kabat-Zinn / Bulkwang Publishing
– Be the Titan Brain
