It’s no secret that I’m an overachiever. I’m the very definition of someone who will walk the talk and hustle hard. I’m a person who will try everything in my power to shift things. I’m the kind of person who figures things out. Marie Forleo wrote: “Everything can be figured out.” And trust me, that’s true. I have always had this idea in my mind that I need to make it happen regardless of the height and of the hurdles. Sometimes it’s a great trait to have, and sometimes, honestly, it can also be a burden.
I’m a workaholic
I think I’m a workaholic. I can recall when I was in Classe Preparatoire, a very elitist and typical French school program, which prepared you for National Business School. I wasn’t the best in my class, but I was working hard. Sometimes, I would even get my heavy notebooks to a club to have a quick read in the restroom, just to be sure, you know, that I had the knowledge. It kept me away from fully enjoying the present moment.
After graduating from ESC Troyes, my Business School in France, in 2007, I took on a leap of faith and decided first to migrate to Canada and I also decided that I wanted to work in the web industry as a marketer. Believe me, there were no real school to learn digital marketing back then. I literally spent months and countless, sleepless nights to learn how to make my next, or should I say, my first professional move. Back then, I was learning and reading everything I could find on the topic at the library, Google, etc. I was also listening to all the podcasts that I could find. I was even trying my first side gigs to figure out and learn things and how they work as a freelancer. I consider this as something I inherited from my father, who is a smart and hardworking executive in the automotive industry.
You might wonder where I’m going with this:
First, I was raised that way. My father used to say that you have to work three times harder or more than anyone else. And I’ve been applying that rule to the letter for various reasons, which are, the color of my skin and because I’m a woman. So yes, I did work, you can ask everybody who knows me, I worked A LOT. I’m pretty sure your parents also had a very important influence on the way you designed your life and career.
I worked hard and I will keep on working hard, but the price is very high, my friend. On a professional and personal level, I had to face consequences, make hard choices and make decisions simply because I decided to dedicate every ounce of energy in me creating what I’m passionate about, which is, solving problems and helping creators, innovators, and business founders. And do I regret it? Not at all! I’m 100 % convinced now that creating systems is the best way to reach my one thing: time. I sometimes get caught off guard in life and business challenges instead of thinking of what matters the most to me.
Example: How to be very focused and dedicated to staying on my path toward my One Thing.
Create your framework
What if you could create a framework that will support the One Thing you desire to achieve in life? Whether it’s becoming a millionaire or spending more time with your loved ones or even growing your family and helping you reach your wildest dreams. What if you could do that?
Yes, I finally read The One Thing and the first question I asked myself is: Am I happy? Is it the life I want? And I’m asking you, is it the life you want?
Ask yourself that. No matter the business or the industry you are working in, ask yourself what’s the One Thing you want to accomplish? What’s your ultimate goal in life?
You know, I’ve explored, I dreamed and I discovered so many other ways to achieve things. Over the last year, raising my child while growing my business made me understand that the journey can be tedious and challenging, but first it doesn’t have to be harder than it is already and you don’t have to be alone.
You can find yourself someone that will hold you accountable, a coach, a mentor, a community, a person who will not hesitate to challenge you, and a person who will be there for you and support you while you are designing and shaping businesses for others. Like Oprah says: “Surround yourself only with people who lift you higher”.
Focus on ONE THING
Think about it for a minute, we’ve been taught to multitask and work hard, but the reality is that while you are doing that, sometimes, you lose the ability to focus on the ONE and Only unique thing that is essential. How do you stay focused and not lose yourself in every single matter of your life or business? Believe me, I learnt this the hard way. Just say no. I’m an optimistic and a yes person. Learning to say “No” was the one thing that helped me grow and remain focused on things that are essential to me and I also remove myself from distractions that are non-essential.
You know, I believe that all your actions and steps can take you to your destination. Given that my One Thing is to have more time, well, I’m concentrating all my focus on that.
I want to keep creating, making smart moves but with smaller steps. Like Gary Keller says, “Think big, you have to go small, find out your priorities, no matter the objective, no matter your goals, one step at the time leads to your one thing. Extraordinary results from starting small.”
So that’s it guys, plan your baby steps, to reach your One Thing.
