Turning Aspirations into Actions
It always feels like I go back to rugby every single time I write a blog. I guess it is one of the only ways I can express my feelings and emotions clearly.So, my question today is: how many of you are inspired by the way the Springboks play? I asked that question in a very deliberate way because many people would ask: how many of you are inspired by the Springboks winning the World Cup? You see, there is a big difference. If the Springboks inspire us by the way they play—win or lose—then we will never be disappointed. It happens often that we need to be inspired by something or by someone else who is constantly producing world-class performances. Once we are inspired, we need to convert that feeling into aspirations that, in turn, must become actions. The next question is: who among you is doing your day job so well that it inspires your colleagues? Now, that’s a bit of food for thought!
In the next few paragraphs, I will try and give you a few tips or pointers on how to transform aspirations into actions.
A Spirit of Openness and a Willingness to Be Inspired
Sometimes you deal with people who have an attitude that they know everything and believe you can’t teach them anything about life or work. If you have a humble attitude and one of constant learning and a general drive to be better, then you are already halfway there. I read something awesome the other day: “Hold strong opinions loosely.” Our opinions are formed by how and where we are raised. Never hold such strong opinions that you cannot be convinced otherwise.
Being Organized
Once your attitude is right, you have to organize your life and plan daily, weekly, and monthly. It’s one thing to have big aspirations, but with big aspirations must come big plans. Plotting the way forward will keep you motivated, and as you tick off the goals and aspirations you’ve achieved, your motivation will grow.
Resilience
If I were only allowed to teach my children one thing, it would be resilience. I deliberately said “try” because I’m not 100% sure that you can teach anyone how to be resilient. The one thing I do know is that once life throws you a couple of curveballs, you learn very quickly how to become resilient. The school of life makes you tough. And even though we wouldn’t want our children to go through hardships, they must. There are no shortcuts. That’s why you will often see less-privileged athletes from tough childhoods become very successful. I truly believe that these three basic steps will help you turn your aspirations into actions and your dreams into reality. Without action, blood, sweat, and tears, there is no glory.
GET IN TOUCH
If you would like to get in touch with me about my key note presentation, Debunking Motivation, please send an email to corne@cornekrige.com. Visit my website to review my speaker sheet for more info. I also share my story on my social media pages on Facebook and LinkedIn.