Don't just dream, act
What do you want to achieve in life? Who are your role
models? While you have been busy with things deemed important, you may have
forgotten your aspirations. Daring to follow your heart to pursue something you
long for will make you more content. We live only once, it is initially
daunting to muster courage to chase your dreams but once you do, the sense of
achievement and fulfilment is immense. To avoid regrets later in life, it is
better to keep trying, overcoming obstacles and pushing limits than never
attempting.
From dream to reality – lay out a roadmap
A critical first step in the process of fulfilling your
dream is to convert your idea into a plan. Then comes resolve to step out of
your comfort zone and take action. An abstract concept in your mind without
action will remain a dream.
Don’t over-stress, small steps matter. It is crucial to set achievable goals, break them down into small
and manageable stages, and take consistent action. With persistence and
determination, one can gradually narrow and ultimately close the gap between
where they are and where they want to be. Believe in yourself and unlock your
potential – remember action is needed!
How I converted my dream into reality
I would like to share some of my ideas and experiences, and
how I made my dreams come true.
I first thought about my career in lower secondary school when
our teacher asked us to write about aspirations. I wanted to be a fashion
designer, while my classmates wrote about being doctors, lawyers, teachers …
etc. At that time, my parents and two of my aunties had garment factories. I
tried to mix and match fabrics and accessories in my father’s factory to make a
shirt and discovered that my interest wasn’t there as I didn’t have a fashion
sense. But the experience taught me to try things out to see whether I like it
or not.
A traveller and photographer
I was born in Hong Kong, small place which is just a dot on
a world map; my dream has been to travel to many places since I was a teen. I imagined
with the idea of becoming a professional
photographer when I studied at Hong Kong Polytechnic in the early 90s; I was
the Financial Secretary of the Photography Society. When I visited Daisaku
Ikeda (池田大作)’s photography exhibition, which showcased his
all-over-the-world travel destinations and his photo albums, I was impressed
and inspired. At that stage, I had no money to travel or to buy expensive
cameras and lenses, so I could not do something like him. But I decided to find
a job to earn money to finance my travelling and becoming an amateur
photographer. Later, I found I had no desire to pursue high quality of images.
I was more into capturing scenes and precious moments with my family and
friends. Currently, I don't bring my camera when I travel but use my iPhone Pro
to capture precious moments. I am committed to creating and printing albums
documenting my trips. Although I haven’t become a professional photographer, I
have achieved my dream by pursuing photography as a hobby. I have travelled to
many destinations in over 25 countries, especially in Asia and Europe.
My boss was my role model
In the early stage of my career in finance, I already
identified my strengths – a strong analytical mind and a love of quantitative
analysis. When I worked with the Regional Strategist in BNP Paribas in the
early 2000s as the Quantitative Analyst and Assistant Strategist, I viewed my
boss as my role model. I wanted to
become a strategist because most fund managers listened to his market views and
adopted his strategies. I put lots of effort into self-learning and learning
from him and the regional economists. Therefore, when I moved to the
derivatives department, I combined my macroeconomics and derivatives knowledge,
and quantitative and analytical skills to turn myself into an Asian Equities
and Derivatives Strategist. My continuous effort in enriching knowledge helped
me to stay competitive and become a ranked strategist; I worked in this role
for over 12 years before I left the industry.
A good role model helps to inspire and map out ways to
emulate them. It's good as a reference point but the goal should not be to
replicate them exactly because everyone’s path is unique.
My path to coaching
Before I quit my job in the finance industry, I already knew
I wanted to become a Life Coach and a blogger. To become a coach, I decided to
study a part-time coaching course at the Institute of Continuing Education at
the University of Cambridge during September 2022 to June 2023. I continue my
self-learning via reading relevant books and articles, YouTube and an online
learning platform (www.coursera.org).
During and after the course, I practiced coaching for over
70 hours. My coachees endorsed me as a great coach and referred their friends
to me. I am currently partnering with a head-hunter to be one of their coaches
to support their clients and candidates in career and career transition
coaching. With my holistic approach, I can also assist my coachees in exploring
other aspects of their lives, because a balanced life will be happier, more
fulfilling and sustainable.
Becoming a writer
When I updated my LinkedIn Profile in late 2023, I changed
my profession to “Life Coach, Mentor and Writer”. That marked a point where I
moved from an idea to a goal.
In early 2024, I set a S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable,
Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound) goal of publishing eight articles during
the year. In the end, I published nine articles and created more than 50 posts
covering concepts, essential skills, self-love, parenting, relationships,
wisdom and finance. I hope my readers will discover connections between these
different topics. My objective is to help them connect the dots, create insight
and unlock potential, setting them on a path to better and happier lives.
As a Life Coach, I aim to support people in various aspects
of their lives. To me, success in life is about balance and striving to achieve
one’s best self. I believe many life aspects are interrelated, therefore, one
cannot focus only on a successful career or business but must devote time and
effort to maintain physical and mental health, exercise self-love, cultivate
positive relationships and pursue personal growth.
Don't be discouraged if things don't work out well
initially. It is a learning process. I am new to writing about life topics. I
don't have all the topic ideas and answers in my mind to start with. But as I
examine and research, they take shape, and I give each my best shot hoping my
readers find my articles and posts inspiring and insightful. Wisdom is the
ability to think thoroughly by considering broader perspectives that integrate
with knowledge, experience, understanding and insight, which can lead individuals
in the right direction. Aristotle remarked that "Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom". In my
pursuit of wisdom, I will continue to deepen my knowledge, enhance perspectives
and expand horizons, and I wish to inspire my readers to grow together.
I have converted an idea into a goal and a plan to achieve
it step by step. Indeed, there is no magical way to get there – it's all about
determination and persistence.
Discovering abilities and motivation
Back in the 2000s,
when my boss asked me to write comment about macroeconomic charts of the Asia
ex-Japan countries, I had no clue where to start. I explored how other
economists made their commentaries, so I understood my tasks were to highlight
changes, identify connections and investigate correlations between different
parameters. This set the stage for my exploration of root causes and rationales
behind the scenes. When I shifted to life topics in 2024, I also tried to dig
deep to find connections between various life topics, and was able build upon
my accumulated knowledge, experience and wisdom.
It is not easy for young people to find their
paths at an early stage of their lives. Life is a discovery process, so we need
to keep testing to find our abilities, limitations, strengthens and
preferences. It takes time to discover what drives and motivates us. At the
beginning of my journey, when I graduated from Hong Kong Polytechnic or even
when I completed my master's in finance, I never thought about becoming a
strategist. When I was busy developing my career in investment banking, I never
imagined I would become a writer. The inspiration came from my life experience,
challenges and setbacks. It drove me to pursue wisdom and a happier life; to
broaden my knowledge and change my way of thinking to be able
to help my family and friends. I found my purpose which is
to inspire others to broaden their knowledge, change their mindset, take
positive action, live happier lives and become their best selves.
Focus on your path, and don’t compare yourself to others
Everyone has different resources and strengths; everyone is
at a different stage of life therefore comparing yourself to others is
counterproductive as it can be discouraging and even cause distress. When I
was skiing on intermediate slopes, I saw many people skiing very
fast, but I would never know their journeys, how many years of experience they
had and how they overcame their challenges. I also saw many beginners on the
beginner slopes where I was ten years ago, skiing slowly and cautiously,
falling, standing up and feeling scared to lose control and slide away.
Everyone can focus on their path only. Even though I was skiing with my husband
on the same route, we would never ski on the same path or at the same speed. I
must ski in a way I feel comfortable with, I must focus on my path and my
ability, otherwise, I may fall. But once in a while, we must check our routes
to ensure we are on the right track.
Supporting others to pursue their dreams
A coach can support their clients in setting goals, planning
manageable steps, challenging their assumptions, assisting them in overcoming
obstacles, and revising tactics so that they are on the right path towards
their goals. During the challenging journey, individuals probably have a strong
sense of loneliness, and they need to be heard, understood and supported. A
coach or mentor can motivate, inspire and encourage them to keep trying until
they make it. If one has tried on their own but not succeed, seeking someone
who has experience in certain area to assist and support them is worth
considering.
Further reading
Readers can refer to my previous article “Self-Discovery andPotential Unlock”.
Winner Lee
Life Coach, Mentor, Writer
The original article was published on LinkedIn on February 17, 2025.
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