Everyone wants things. But, if you think about it, we know what we ultimately want, that's to be successful. Always focused on trying to get things, you might often be frantic and without direction. But, in order to really get what you want and be a success, you must know what that is. I mean, you'll need to break it down. Because as long as you are never completely sure what it is you are working so hard for, you will continue to wander, aimless and tired, always trying to get more things, and never feeling any real sense of success.
Lao Tzu said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." …
Part one: Write it out, sell it, then prepare for the challenges ahead
Step 1 Write out your goal. Don't try and be a wordsmith here. Just let it flow. You need to give this a lot of thought. Brainstorming can help you with this. You may have never really identified what you really want. Be selfish. In order to know what it is you want and be successful, you have to put yourself before all those you would otherwise be obligated to, at least for the moment. Now once you have enough data put it down as a descriptive, thoughtful, and personal goal. You'll have many goals, and these steps can be used for all of them.
Step 2 Sell it to yourself.
List all of the ways in which you will benefit from completing this goal. If it's a car, put a photo of it on the mirror in your bathroom or at your desk at work. You want to see yourself driving it. See it, touch it, smell the leather seats and feel their softness on your skin. If it is a new job, get immersed in what it would entail.
See yourself doing it and being successful at it. You're forming your new reality, it begins in the imagination.
Step 3 Identify and face challenges. List all the possible obstacles to your plan. Write them down one at a time and address them. MacGeyver them if you must. This step will help you work your way through any impediments to achieving your goal.
Continued forward motion is your aim.
Part two: Work out what you need to know, get support, flowchart it, and set a deadline.
Step 4 Work it out. Decide what it is you will need to know in order to complete your goal. List them in order. If it's for that new job, your objective will then be to get qualified and whatever steps that would entail.
Step 5 Enlist support. Find out who it is that can help you achieve your goal. Enlist their support in your endeavor. You’ll find that few will refuse to help you achieve your goal.
Step 6 Now it's the time to do your flowchart. You want to chart out your course of action to reach your goal. If it's a micro-goal, this may not even be necessary, but if this is a major undertaking, every step here counts.
Step 7 Deadline. Forward motion is the only way to achieve your goals. A deadline will keep you mindful of that fact.
