This #WorkTrends chat with Paul Cummings, founder of woople and author of It All Matters, was the perfect way to end the year.

Paul talked about how we can reframe failure and reprogram ourselves to embrace dreams. “I think every person that I’ve ever met, seems to have some kind of a dream, deep down inside of them, that they ultimately want to fulfill and achieve,” Paul says, and we discussed the journey toward fulfilling those dreams.

“What matters most when you think about chasing down a dream”, Paul says, “is the commitment to finish.” When he built his e-learning platform, he had to make a commitment and motivate others to join him on the way to realizing that dream.

In this #WorkTrends chat, we talked about how people can overcome their fear of failure and make plans to fulfill their dreams. We also discussed specific steps on the route to meeting the commitments we make to ourselves.

It really stood out to me that Paul recommended journaling as a way to let things go, as well as document the future. He recommends a consistent morning routine as a route to success.

With that in mind, I encourage you to make a plan for the last couple of mornings of 2017, grab a journal and jot down those goals!

Here are a few key points Paul shared:

• Fear is one of the most positive emotions on earth — it’s a catalyst for positive change
• Outlook has a lot to do with input
• You can’t imprison yourself in negative circumstances
• A goal is a commitment with a deadline you need to be able to see in your mind’s eye
• Every loss in your life is a lesson — use it as an accelerant to do more, not as baggage to weigh you down

Did you miss the show? You can listen to the #WorkTrends podcast on our BlogTalk Radio channel here: http://bit.ly/2DjCkja

You can also check out the highlights of the conversation from our Storify here:

Didn’t make it to this week’s #WorkTrends show? Don’t worry, you can tune in and participate in the podcast and chat with us every Wednesday from 1-2pm ET (10-11am PT).

Remember, the TalentCulture #WorkTrends conversation continues every day across several social media channels. Stay up-to-date by following our #WorkTrends Twitter stream; pop into our LinkedIn group to interact with other members. Engage with us any time on our social networks, or stay current with trending World of Work topics on our website or through our weekly email newsletter.

Note: #WorkTrends will resume 1/3/18. We hope all our friends in the #WorkTrends community enjoy their time off over the holidays and we look forward to an exciting 2018.

Photo Credit: mikbanerjee Flickr via Compfight cc