How many goals did you set for yourself this year? Maybe a few. But how many of them were significant and inspirational, your "to-do" list items that you wanted to accomplish for years?
It's not just setting goals that can make the difference between living a dreamed life, or one utterly unnoticed. You need to achieve those goals and actually follow through with them. After all, the only goal worth achieving is your own happiness. There is no greater reward than reaching your goals, and no better feeling than seeing everything you worked for come to fruition.
On the other hand, it is also possible that you have struggled to reach one of your goals consistently. So how do you set significant goals and actually achieve them? In fact, how can anyone make their dreams a reality if they never follow through with their plans? Well, I shared a formula for success years ago that has helped me achieve my most elusive of goals and dreams. And now I'm going to share it with you.
Simply put: the steps to achieving your most elusive goal are these…
Step 1: First decide what your goal is.
Step 2: Decide what you'll need to do to achieve it.
Step 3: Then make it happen.
If those steps sound simple enough, then how come so many people struggle with achieving the goals they set? Why do some days go well, while others bring more frustration than satisfaction? And why do we often beat ourselves up when things don't go as planned? Well, let me tell you that it is because we're not following the three steps above. And as a result, we aren't achieving our dreams. So today I'm going to share my three step formula for success with you again… but this time I'll be adding an extra step that will help you really make things happen.
Step 1: What is your goal?
This sounds really simple, but it's the most important step in achieving anything meaningful. It's easy to come up with a list of goals and get all excited about where you're going, but they need to be big goals. Goals that will make you shine when you achieve them. Goals that will make your life better when they come to fruition. And most importantly, they need to be goals that will make a difference in someone else's life as well. After all, the only way we can find true happiness is by helping others find theirs too.
Step 2: What will you need to do to achieve your goal?
If you set a goal, but don't actually know what it will take to achieve it, then you're wasting your time. There are no shortcuts to success. In fact the only thing that matters is action and taking the appropriate steps. So remember that whatever your goal may be, there's a checklist of things you'll need to do in order to reach it. It can be as simple as writing out five steps in detail, or as complex as creating a full plan with step by step actions and timelines. But find out exactly what will make up your action plan so that you can truly succeed.
Step 3: Make it happen.
After you've decided what your goal is and what it will take to achieve it, the final step in achieving your most elusive of dreams is action. Just do it already! Take the first step towards executing your plan and make the dream a reality. Of course there will be days when you don't feel like moving forward, but remind yourself why you set this goal in the first place and how much better you'll feel once you reach it. You might not see immediate results, but if you follow through with your plan, then over time things will get easier and better for sure.