There’s no magic wand available to achieve your goals and create the life you know you want to live. However, there is a powerful process you can follow to turn your vision into reality.
Linda Ryan is the National Program Manager with BCCA-Integrating Newcomers, a government funded, Canada-wide, pre-arrival career coaching service for high skilled construction professionals immigrating to Canada (*BCCA-IN). A career and certified performance coach, she and the BCCA-IN team specialise in helping newcomers plan for, and achieve, employment success, no matter what city or province they are moving to.
Linda Ryan works closely with newcomers who are eager to continue their careers in Canada. In conversation with her, she discusses common obstacles people face when creating a vision for their business, career, or life. So whether you’re moving to Canada and starting a new career, or navigating any change, here are Ryan’s three tips to help you achieve your goals in life, create your reality, and act on your dreams.
Tip 1: Positive or negative?
The brain is a funny thing. It’s a data processor and as such, likes nothing more than having something to focus on. As the old saying goes; “garbage in = garbage out”! So be honest with yourself about how you’re feeling right now. If the answer is ‘negative’, why not make a conscious choice to think positively about your future?
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Although you may not know exactly what the future looks like, choose to create a positive mindset around it and choose to put positive action towards it. Like all habit-forming, your new behaviour will take multiple tries (and fails) to become your new norm. But you know what? I think you’re worth it. Do you?
Tip 2: Dare to go there?
I work with many clients who know they’re not living their dream and I find that nine times out of ten their biggest obstacle is they are afraid to admit it. Unfortunately, in choosing to deny the existence of your fear (which by the way is a natural survival reaction designed to keep you safe), you are actively choosing to remain stuck. And if you choose to hold yourself back-guess what? You ain’t ever gonna get there! So whatever your goal in life, dream big, and take the necessary steps to get there.
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Tip 3: Being childish?
This is often the question that evokes the strongest reactions in my clients. I’ve seen everything from disbelief, disdain and even disengagement. Great! That’s the reaction I want to see in a client because if that’s what they feel about being asked the question, imagine what they feel about the focus of the question-their vision, their ideal life, and their ability to create it! So we get to working on their ‘best life’ by posing the question again, not as a judgement but as a challenge.
I challenge you to think, act and be like a child when pondering your best life. Visualize your perfect life by allowing yourself the luxury of describing your perfect day. Write it, sketch it, better still, collect pictures from magazines and stick ’em to a sheet.
Having fun creating your story, fuels your desire to make it a reality. Clients who truly allow themselves to go there, elevate their thinking and energy to a child-like level where anything is possible. And guess what? When you allow yourself to even remotely believe anything is possible, you create a new set of emotions, actions and norms that will actually get you there.
So what are you waiting for?
Go have fun with your dreams and goals in life. If you don’t, no one else will!
Learn More about BCCA-IN
*The BCCA-Integrating Newcomers program is a free, pre-arrival, Canada-wide service, focused on helping high-skilled newcomers explore and build successful construction careers. Services include one-on-one career guidance, tailored resume, cover letter, LinkedIn advice, and an in-depth skills and education assessment to help newcomers focus on the best career, credentials and connections activities. The Integrating Newcomers team not only has multi-industry experience but are also immigrants who have built successful careers in Canada.
