From dream to reality

I give workshops on career management, and I always encourage people to build a career or a business around their heart.

The above diagram is a secret sequence used by great achievers. First, they used their heart to believe that something is possible. A person who uses only his brain to choose a career, is not leveraging the magic that can only come from the heart.

The famed mythologist Joseph Campbell put it this way: "Follow your bliss." He explained that if a person chooses a career based on money, he might miss his calling. But if he chooses a career based on bliss -- on what makes him feel truly alive -- then he will end up also with the money.

Of course, after the heart has spoken, the brain must be used to turn the "possibility" into a "probability."

Afterward, it's just a matter of hard work and discipline to turn the "probability" into a "certainty." The following saying is applicable: "Those who don't believe in luck, have mastered fate."

In the end, the above diagram shows the process of going from dream to reality. Each step requires a very different skill. First, a person needs a lot of emotional and social support.

Next, he/she will need a lot of intellectual support and training. Finally, he/she will require discipline and a supportive operational environment.

At every step of the way, one key ingredient is needed: courage. Lots of it.

Perhaps this is why the late Peter Drucker said, "Whenever you see a successful business, it means someone once made a very courageous decision."