Achieve Your Dreams - 10 Ways to Success

We all have dreams of what we want to achieve in life. Some dreams may be small while others may be so big it's difficult to believe we will ever be able to achieve them. It is advisable to focus on one goal at a time. Trying to achieve two or more goals at the same time can be overwhelming and can result in failing at all of them. It's also important to make your goal specific and not aim for an overall outcome like "I want to retire and be self sufficient". Your best chance to reach that ultimate goal is to break it down into smaller, more achievable segments. The following ten rules for goal fulfillment will greatly increase your chance of reaching your target.

1. Define your goal. Be very specific and add as much detail as possible. Some things to think about could include: how long will it take, will it involve other people, how much money will I need, do I need more education? Take time to add as much detail as possible. Know exactly what will be needed for your project to succeed. Exact details can, and will change as you progress, but for this initial planning phase be as detailed as possible.
2. Justification. Once you have listed your goal in as much detail as possible you need to determine the advantages and disadvantages associated with it. Is this goal absolutely for you to achieve or just something that you would like to do some day? What sacrifices will you need to make to have this happen? Will it impact others? Is it worth it? The best way to determine the answer to these questions is to rule a line down the middle of a page, Mark one side Pro and the other side Con. When you have finished populating this sheet you will be sure that your goal is really what you want to achieve. It will also help to clear any doubts or fears you may as to whether it is the right course for you to follow.
3. Mindset. When you first make the decision to start a new project you will be very excited and motivated, however over time you can lose this spark and negative thoughts and fears can creep in. You can start thinking that it wasn't such a good idea to start with. It's all become too hard, too scary. There are a number of different ways to get our mindset back on track. Share your goal with a family member of close friend. You are less likely to give up if you have someone to support and help you along the way. When you feel like giving up close your eyes and think of how you will feel when you have achieved your dream. It will feel so wonderful. You will be so proud to have achieved your dream. It will be so exciting. Really try to experience how you will feel. Remember how much you really want this. Carry a picture of your goal in your purse or wallet. When those negative thoughts or feelings strike, take out the picture to reinforce your determination. Have a mantra that you can repeat when you are feeling low: eg "I'm so excited that I will soon have my dream". Again, feel the emotion of being in possession of your dream.
4. Make a plan. Now that you have created your dream in your imagination it's time to now create it in reality. You need to analyze your goal in as much detail as possible. Write down how much it will cost; how long it will take; will you need to get a loan or will you save for it? Are there any associated costs involved? Do you need any training? Make a clear and detailed list of what you will need to reach your goal. Arrange them in order of importance and add deadlines for each item. You now have a rough draft of your "to do" list. Put your list where you will see it regularly
5. Getting knowledge. More than likely you will need to get some expert advice in order to reach your goal. Make sure that you do some research and get information from a number of different sources. By using your comprehensive "to do" list you can be confident of covering all areas of your project and minimize those "hidden extras". Study all the information you receive and then make an informed decision on which one is the right choice for you. If you are having a contractor or supplier do work for you make sure you get a firm quote in writing before they start working.
6. Do something every day. Make sure you do something towards your goal every day, even if it's only to look at some brochures or pull up some websites. Consistently working on your To Do List brings you closer to your dream and keeps your enthusiasm up. It's very easy to become disheartened and put the project on the back burner. To make sure this doesn't happen, you need to make an agreement with yourself that you will do something, no matter how small, every single day. You will soon find that you enthusiasm and commitment will return. Break your "to do" list down into smaller segments that are not so daunting.
7. Share your dream with others. Your friends and family will help keep you motivated on track and give you the encouragement and drive that you need when you feel like giving up. Put a post on your Facebook page telling your friends about your project and update them as your plan comes together. Some of your friends may have suggestions that can help you in your own quest. You never know, you may even inspire others to reach for their dreams too.
8. Vision boards. Vision boards are usually used as a goal setting tool but are great to use when you are in the creation stage. Make up a vision board with pictures of your ultimate goal. Include all the steps you need to go through including time lines. It can be a great deal of fun and very encouraging to follow your progress on the vision board. Make sure you put it where you can see it often
9. Measure your progress It's very important that you constantly measure your progress towards you goal to make sure you stay within your timelines. You should already have a list of what you need to achieve by certain dates. Mark these dates on the calendar and check your progress. It's very exciting to find that you're actually ahead of your expectations. If you find that you're behind you will still have time to catch up.
10. Get excited, get very excited. When you have put all these action points into practice you will be well on your way to your dream, so get excited. You should be very proud to have achieved what you set out to do and once you know how to do it, you can repeat it over and over again. Now that's something to get very excited about.

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