Almost all of us have goals in life we’d like to reach, but many of us fail to see them through because we lack the knowledge to get started in making them reality. In this article we will discuss how to take action towards getting those goals out of your head and into the world of reality.
How about step-by-step instructions to help you create goals and the actions needed to complete them. By following this plan, you’ll be more apt to succeed at meeting your goals in life, no matter what they may be.
1. Write it down. Many dreams are forgotten because we neglect to put it on paper. One day we’ll say, “Oh, yeah, I wanted to do that when I was young.” No one says that you have to pursue all of the goals that are listed on the paper, but if you do choose to work towards it, you’ll remember what it was in the first place. One effective way to do this is to make your list of goals within a journal because you will be writing other lists that pertain to these goals as you work towards their completion.
2. Make a decision about the goals you’ve written down. Each goal has possibilities and difficulties. Begin a list of the pros and cons of each goal you wrote down in step one. This will help you narrow down your choices. Those with too many cons may need to be omitted from your list or at least moved to another list for now.
3. Are these goals for me? Now that we have narrowed the list to the possible goals, how do you feel about each one? Take the time to list your feelings about the goals left on the list. Be sure to list positive thoughts as well as any misgivings you may have. Being a lawyer can be a worthy goal, but if you have small children at home, this may not be the right time to pursue it. Or, there may be other ways you can help with law enforcement besides becoming an attorney.
4. Create a plan for the goals. This goes for every goal even if it won’t be pursued right now. Five years down the road, you may want to think about selling your home or moving to another state. When it comes time to look at this goal, you will already have a plan for achieving it. The plan can be for a long term or short term goal. If plans for different goals mesh together, more than one goal can be pursued at a time.
Tip: It might be wise, especially if this is the first time working with goal planning, to focus on one or two goals right now and revisit the others at a later time.
5. Divide the plan into manageable steps. It is easy to become overwhelmed when thinking about the completed goal. Starting a business is a commitment both of finances and time. Realize, everything doesn’t have to be done all at one time. Steps or milestones, allow for smaller goals to be achieved on the way to the bigger one.
6. Get going. The hardest part is over. You have taken the time to put a plan in place and pursue the dream that has lain dormant for years. Start with step one and work your way forward.
Taking action towards a goal does not have to seem overwhelming if you take time to decide which goals are worth going after, planning the steps necessary to get to the desired result, and simply get going with those steps. Before any goal can get off the ground, it needs a direction to go. Once you have the direction it’s just a matter of checking things off your list until they are complete. Take things one step at a time and you’ll reach the finish line before you know it.
New Year? How about a NEW YOU?
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As I read this, it sparked something in me. I need to really sit down and revisit what I am doing and would like to do for the new year and eliminate or delegate the superfluous and focus, really focus on what I consider most important in light of God’s plans and desires for me. Thanks for writing this article Cindy.