Looking to begin the New Year with New Ideas, New Success, New Fulfilled Potential?
Katie Couric recommends (highly) Jeremy Cage’s book, All Dreams on Deck: Charting the Course for Your Life and Work (Greenleaf Book Group, $19.95). The work, says she, is “a great book that everyone who thinks about how to better balance work–life issues would benefit from reading. Everything starts with a dream– but Jeremy really shows us how to get started on making these dreams come to life.”
Writes he: “Most businesses and most people die full of potential. I strongly urge you to pluck up the courage and take the action required to realize your dreams, instead of sitting back and saying ‘I could have or should have’ for the rest of your life.”
An entrepreneur, executive coach and former Fortune 100 executive, Cage believes that “dreams are the most powerful force on our planet and yet they are simultaneously incredibly vulnerable. If not prioritized, protected and nurtured, they wither and die.”
Cage is an expert in turning dreams into reality. One of his more ambitious dreams was to sail around the world with his wife and their two children. They spent four years preparing for their 16-month, life-changing voyage. Since returning, Cage has become an advisor to thousands of people, showing them how to fulfill their dreams for their businesses and for themselves.
Basing his advice on his years of corporate success as well as his around-the-world sailing adventure, Cage uses a boat metaphor to articulate his process in All Dreams on Deck. A person’s dreams are the hull of the boat. Intentionality is the rigging and the sails. Planning and preparation are the training necessary to sail and navigate the boat. Courage is the wind that must be harnessed to propel the boat forward. He brings these concepts to life, illustrating them with true stories and anecdotes, in separate chapters that include:
Dream Like You Mean It Sailing around the world, starting a business or winning a competition are all amazing dreams. However, dreams need to be specific. When dreams are vague, people tend to focus on obstacles, fears, and dreads. Being specific about your dreams enables you to clearly define the steps you need to make them a reality.
Climb Your Ladder of Intentionality Having specific dreams is not enough. You need to become intentional. Commit. Write them down. Declare them out loud. Get others talking about them. This helps you climb your ladder of intentionality.
Ready Yourself, Your Crew and Your Ship The better you plan and prepare, the more likely it is that you will succeed. Understand what you need to know, do, and know how to do, to accomplish your business and personal dreams.
Summon Your Courage Venturing into the unknown is not easy. Whatever your dream, you will encounter obstacles and challenges. Overcoming your fears will allow you to achieve your goals. Trust yourself and your team. Be optimistic. Listen carefully. Accept reality quickly.
The book includes a “Chart Plotter” workbook so people can easily articulate their dreams and start taking immediate action. All aboard!