Recently I shared a thought I believe each of us must embrace if we want to experience significant and meaningful success. Here it is:
You CAN Achieve Your Goals
and Live Your Dreams!
I absolutely believe this is true. You really can achieve your goals and live your dreams! I don’t care if people say: “You’re not talented enough,” “You’re not smart enough,” or “You simply don’t have the skills to do it.” As I mentioned in the first You Can Achieve Your Goals IF post, I’ve heard it all before. Even so, I know you can achieve your goals and live your dreams.
Why?
Because I am personally experiencing this reality. What’s more, I’ve worked with hundreds of clients who are also personally experiencing this reality.
If you need a quick reminder of my story, take a look at the thoughts I shared about how to achieve your goals and live your dreams (this link is the same as the one above). Additionally, if you’re interested in setting and achieving goals, you also might want to check out:
- A great strategy on how to achieve goals by keeping your big goals in front of you in a big way.
- What to do in goal setting if you don’t reach your goals.
Bottom line, it is definitely possible to achieve your goals and live your dreams! Yet as I wrote in the earlier post mentioned above, there is a big IF that is part of this equation. In fact, there are several big IFs. In the other post, I shared some big-picture and philosophical IFs. In this post, I’ll focus on the pragmatic and practical IFs.
Here goes…
No matter how crazy or lofty your goals might be, most of life is lived in what I call the mundane arena. In other words, your goals and dreams make up your vision, but bringing that vision into reality means you have to consistently follow through with the mundane, bland, no-nonsense actions. Therefore, if you want to achieve your goals and live your dreams, you need to develop a solid plan and work that plan day in and day out. Here are a few steps to help you do just that.
First, commit to being ALL IN! I am amazed by how long many of the life and career coaching clients I serve have been thinking about their goals and dreams. Some have been dreaming for years. Others…decades. There is a time to think and consider, but if that time last for more than a few months, your goals and dreams are bound to drift more towards fantasy rather than actuality. If you want to achieve your goals and live your dreams, the first step is to commit to being all in!
Second, develop a solid PLAN. This step moves your goals and dreams out of fantasyland into potential reality. When developing your plan, make sure to:
- Determine specific action steps. Take your vision—the place you want to end up—and work backwards. In other word, start with the end in mind and then walk backwards to figure out what steps are required to get there. Never forget that big-picture visions are achieved via small, daily steps.
- Develop a timeline. Achieving big goals often takes me two or three times longer than I anticipate. So why in the world do I suggest developing a timeline if I know it’s likely not to be accurate? I develop a timeline to push myself to take action and get moving. Even if my plan ends up taking longer than I expect, I don’t beat myself up. I simply remind myself that even the best laid plans cannot foresee all variables. What’s more, I make sure to learn what I can from those things I didn’t anticipate so that next time around my timeline is more accurate.
- Evaluate along the way. Don’t get so busy working your plan that you don’t take time to make sure you’re still following your plan. Take time out, at least weekly, to review your plan and tweak it as needed.
- Party! That’s right…when you accomplish your plan, celebrate! What’s more, be sure to plan out your celebration BEFORE the day comes. This gives you something to anticipate, as well as a marker for a job well done.
Third, tell ALLIES what you’re doing. I say this cautiously, of course. Don’t tell “wet blankets,” they’ll only dampen your spirits. But do tell those who believe in you. Not “yes” people, but people who are positive, who want you to succeed, who will encourage you along the way, and who will say tough things that need to be said. These people are invaluable in helping you achieve your goals and live your dreams. (As a side note, if you want to attract these kinds of people in your life, BE ONE OF THESE PEOPLE for others.)
Finally, GET MOVING! There is no time like the present to get moving. If you are ALL IN, if you have a PLAN, and if you have positive ALLIES on your side…what are you waiting for? Get moving today!
Achieve Your Goals and Live Your Dreams – Check Out Kent Julian’s Goal-Getting E-Book!
