Think of your life as a path you are walking on. This path is taking you through the events of your life. Although many of life’s events are inevitable, the path you take is up to you.
The path you choose will shape who you are as a person, what you achieve, the meaning you attach to events and whether or not you fulfill your purpose.
So where do you want your path to go? Who do you want to be in a year from now? What do you want to achieve this week?
When you want something, you need to take steps to get it. Wanting, dreaming and desire are the perfect start. But they are not the end.
You can’t dream your way to your goals.
Image courtesy Kenneth Cratty/DigitalPhotosnet
One of my dreams was to graduate from University.
Wanting to graduate wasn’t enough. Neither was setting goals. It took action. It took a plan that was acted on to see the goal achieved.
My desire led me to set goals and these goals set the path for action I was to take.
I enrolled in classes, I did the required work and made the sacrifices necessary to do well in each class. I graduated! Not just because I had a dream or a plan.
I graduated because I had a dream that led to a plan and then I acted on that plan.
Planning includes the practical steps of making your dream a reality. It also includes what is necessary to prepare you as a person.
I heard Dave Ramsey once say that we will all be the same people in 10 years from now, except for the books we read and the people we meet.
- What books are you reading?
- What people are you engaging with?
Reading good books is the key, ready fluff books won’t help. I personally take recommendations on what books to read from people I respect. This helps me spend my time on books worth reading.
Meeting new people requires that you put yourself in new situations. Going to conferences, getting out of the office and taking the opportunities that come your way are key.
So where do we go from here? Take one of your dreams and do this:
- Write it down.
- Decide what steps are necessary to achieve your dream.
- Identify and take the first step.
Taking the first step will get you moving on the map you have created for yourself.
When you take time to write down the necessary steps to hit your dream, you are creating the stones you will step on. Along the way you will realize things you couldn’t see from the beginning.
When your path doesn’t go as planned, don’t become discouraged. Every journey has its surprises.
There is no way with 100% accuracy you can plan your every move to see a goal come to life. That is why taking the first step is so important. It commits you to the journey.
