By: Alejandro Dabdoub
Partner
ALLIED-ORION GROUP
We humans tend to underestimate our own power. For instance, we all possess immense capability to influence others with our negative attitudes or discouraging words.
We’re too often programmed this way, perhaps subconsciously, by formidable external forces – parents, school teachers, social media, to name just a few – to believe that we can only achieve a certain amount in this life and no more. We’re too frequently discouraged from dreaming, and when we yield to that discouragement, we only wind up limiting ourselves.
By the same token, we also have the power to encourage others – as well as ourselves – with our positive thoughts and productive behavior. Toward this end, the most powerful muscle we can develop … is our own mind. Because in reality, our enormous potential is usually much greater than our current circumstances, and our limiting beliefs are the only obstacles holding us back.
Each of us has the power to achieve any goal we can imagine – IF we adopt a mindset of committing ourselves to following just a few basic steps which, in my experience, have proven effective time and time again.
SET CLEAR GOALS
“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”
~ Tony Robbins, Motivational Speaker
Like many college students, I had no idea what line of work I wanted to pursue while I was studying at the University of New Orleans. What I did have, however, was a dream. I wanted to build hotels or similar grandiose structures.
This dream remained just that – a dream – until one day after I graduated. My godfather introduced me to a real estate group that did exactly the kind of work I wanted to do. Today, I am a partner in that same company. What once was only a dream is today my reality in part because I made it my goal.
By setting goals – even if we don’t know right away how we’re going to achieve them – we create a desire and enthusiasm within ourselves that helps us prepare for our preferred future while becoming more aware of all the possibilities around us that can help us achieve those goals.
VISUALIZE YOUR DESIRED OUTCOME
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
~ Seneca, Ancient Roman Philosopher
Throughout my life, I’ve heard it said that some people are lucky for being in the right place at the right time. But I don’t believe in luck. I believe, based on my experience, that when we are attuned to our surroundings, we become more poised to take advantage of favorable situations and opportunities when they present themselves to us.
For example, as a business leader, I always want to grow every company I’m involved in, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I faced a new challenge. During this time, like many companies, we started to suffer from supply chain disruptions that either prevented or severely delayed our construction projects. I started talking with friends and imagining new and different ways to continue construction.
Along the way, I encountered many people who were unwilling to understand or accept where the future was going, but I didn’t allow their negativity to become a roadblock. Instead, I stayed true to my vision and used each person who declined my offer as a learning experience. I just kept proceeding to the next opportunity, becoming more aware of the possibilities that would open up us. Today, we not only survived the pandemic, but our company also imports more than four different brands all related to construction. I visualized the outcome I wanted and found a way to make it happen.
CULTIVATE YOUR DETERMINATION
“Never give up. There are always tough times, regardless of what you do in anything in life. Be able to push through those times and
maintain your ultimate goal.” ~ Nathan Chen, U.S. Olympian
After setting my goal to be in the construction business and enjoying some early success in it, I had the chance to venture into new businesses. So, I decided to open a restaurant in Mexico City that eventually became very well renowned, featuring one of the top wine cellars in the whole country. At our height, we had a reservation waitlist of up to six months.
Our restaurant team was amazing, but after seven years, some political issues started to hurt the business. Several months later, we were forced to close – one of the toughest business decisions I’ve ever had to make in my life. But I was determined to learn from this painful lesson and refused to let it deter me from taking new chances in business and in life.
Following the restaurant experience, I reevaluated all my goals and made decisions that will change the rest of my life. I moved my family to Houston, Texas, where we now live and where I base most of my businesses. We are happy and thriving here.
Sometimes, life teaches us hard lessons that we don’t understand immediately. In hindsight, though, we usually come to discover that our hard times were merely uncharted paths leading us closer to our ultimate goals.
WHAT IS YOUR DREAM?
“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours …
and he will live with the license of
a higher order of beings.”
~ Henry David Thoreau, 19th Century Naturalist & Philosopher
Today, I am living my dream of helping other companies better their businesses and helping my employees pursue better lives. I have quite an ambitious mind, though, and am dedicated to bringing even more new opportunities to our company.
My main goal is to better the lives not only of my employees but also of the people who rent from us in the buildings we construct and oversee. To this end, I am focused on reducing costs for our renters while increasing our company’s profitability.
I’ve learned that, when you set a goal, you have to be open to possibilities and accept that failures are just lessons that will take you to the next step. Persevering to reach those goals is crucial to achieving anything you want in life.
Determination can be a powerful motivator that helps us conquer fears, overcome obstacles, and continue pursuing our visions even through difficult times. To be determined, however, we must first know where we are going and maintain a strong desire for what we want. When faced with challenges, we can recall lessons we’ve learned along the way and use them to become more aware of new possibilities.
Perhaps you’re still unsure what your goals might be. That’s okay. Try this quick and simple exercise that’s worked well for me.
Think about something you’ve always wanted. Each morning for the next three weeks, spend just 15 to 20 minutes visualizing it as vividly as possible, using all your senses to make the association as real as if you were already living it. You will be amazed at how your goal will form and your mindset and determination will begin to shift toward accomplishing that goal.
Also keep in mind that earning respect and making a name for yourself in any industry can be timeconsuming and difficult, but they can be lost very quickly and easily. So, remember the importance of your personal values and never deviate from them, especially when this seems like the easy way out.
And don’t forget to enjoy the process. Connect all the dots in your life that brought you where you are today, then start a new cycle with a new goal. It can be easy to become complacent once we’ve achieved one goal, but if you were able to do it once, you just might be able to do it over and over again. So, always have a new goal toward which to strive.
It doesn’t matter how big or small your goal may be. What matters is that you have a clear vision of what you want and the determination to see it through to the finish.
But I’ve found that small dreams and big dreams often require the same amount of time and effort to accomplish. So, my final piece of advice is simple. Dream big! Because the power to accomplish anything lies within you. If you believe in yourself and your ability to achieve your dreams, anything truly is possible.
