Next, Kar Fei will task potential clients to craft their goals based on a template of three questions pioneered by his employer and mentor Vishen Lakhiani.

“The questions are: What experiences do you want to have in this lifetime? How do you want to grow? What do you want to contribute to this world? These questions are great prompts because they allow you to imagine the vivid details of your journey. Only when your goals connect with your purpose and passion, that you start feeling the shift within," he says.

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Upon completion of the exercises, Kar Fei steps in to help by customising coaching techniques and frameworks to help you attain your goals from step 2. To do so, he focuses on preparing your mindset for change.

“The only way to change a behaviour is to change the mindset. This means you have to dig deep into your mind and ask the hard questions so you are prepared. Why do you want these goals so much? What are your worse fears if you succeed or fail? How will achieving these goals change your lives for better or worse?” he says.

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While passion serves as an important tool to fuel our drive, the emotions that spark from it sometimes cloud our better judgment.

Kar Fei observes that entrepreneurs struggle to detach emotionally from their business because their livelihood—and reputation—is dependent on the success of their business.

“By default, entrepreneurs are conscious of their self-development. More often than not, they already know what to do as business owners. But their thoughts loop continuously in their heads and mess with their emotions. This is where I step in to help. My role is a sounding board so they are able to gain clarity from the process of articulating their thoughts, fears and ideas. I reflect their concerns back to them with questions that help them sift through the clutter in their minds,” he explains.

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According to Kar Fei, building a confident mindset is the secret to successful goal attainment.

By this, he does not mean "arrogance" but a healthy dose of self-assuredness that keeps you steady during the tough times in your journey.

“As humans, we are shaped from past experiences and the community around us. We develop fears or limiting beliefs that prevent us from truly going after our goals,” says Kar Fei, who adds that a bulk of his coaching work is focused on dismantling his clients' fears so they are able to build genuine self-confidence.

"When you are genuinely confident that you have what it takes to succeed, it is easier to pick yourself back up when things get rough and persevere in chasing your goals," he reveals.

Kar Fei Cheah has coached and trained young leaders at workplaces such as Procter and Gamble (P&G), IBM, Accenture and other clients. He has also trained with organisations such as MaGIC, Tandemic, and IBM in social business transformations.

For more inspiration, click here to read about our July 2018 cover personality Nadiah Wan