Today I had the pleasure of witnessing the graduation of a person who is near and dear
to my heart.
Of course I was glad to be there to support her and celebrate her achievement, but I too
felt lifted by the sage advice, positive inspiration and life lessons shared by invited dignitaries.
Most importantly, I was energized and re-ignited by the hope, passion and promise of
the graduates as they prepared to embark on the next leg of their journeys.
But graduation time also makes me feel reflective.
Questions whirled through my mind:
What was I like when I graduated from college?
What would I have done differently?
What lessons from my life could share with these graduates?
As I looked at those shining faces and bright smiles, I wondered:
*Are they clear about what they want out life?
*Do they actually know what their goals are?
*Did they understand how to reach their goals?
*Did they have a game plan?
*Would they ultimately succeed in achieving what they wanted out of life?
Let’s face it, many of us complain that our lives aren’t where we want them to be, yet we don’t
take any action to change things.
Everyone has goals, and a solid plan of action is often the only thing between you and
your goals.
So follow these five steps to get more of what you want out of your life.
5 Steps to Get What You Want Out of Life
Step 1: Find Your “Why”
The first step to getting what you want in life is really looking inside yourself and finding out why
you want what you want.
What really matters to you?
You might think you want to earn more money, but earning money in itself isn’t what will make you happy.
Earning money so that you can provide a solid education for your children, however, is a BIG reason why.
And that reason will motivate you to achieve more.
Step 2: Evaluate Where You Already Are
Next, it’s important to take stock of where you already are in relation to your big goal.
Make a list on paper and write out all the circumstances of your life that aren’t quite where you expect
them to be.
Step 3: Break Down the Obstacles in Your Way
Now it’s time to take the list you made in step two, and understand what exactly is standing in your way.
For example, one thing on your list might be that you don’t have enough money to travel the world like
you’ve always dreamed of.
So take this further and ask yourself why you don’t have enough money.
Is it because you are in debt?
If so, break down some steps to get out of debt.
As you can see, this is all about recognizing how one situation leads to another.
Not being smart about money leads to debt, not making a debt payoff plan leads to having no money,
and having no money holds you back from travelling the world.
Step 4: Make a Plan of Action
Now you know the exact obstacles that stand in your way, it’s time to find solutions.
Things like being in debt might seem too difficult to get out of, but there’s always a way.
You could start by making a budget, then by figuring out which luxuries you can cut out.
Then you could brainstorm extra ways of making money.
To speed things along, you could even
downsize, sell your car, or move in with your parents!
Step 5: Believe in Yourself and Take Action
Lastly, it’s important to change your mindset.
You have to start believing that you can truly achieve whatever you want in life.
Yes, everyone has certain limitations that can make things more difficult.
But there are countless success stories out there when people overcame huge limitations to achieve
everything they ever wanted.
The thing is, it does take work.
However, once you start thinking more positively and truly believe in yourself, a lot of your work is
already done.
And remember, if you encounter any setbacks along the way, it’s all a lesson that you can learn and
improve from.
Below are more tips to help you set key goals, go after what you want and feel good about your life.
And don’t be afraid to fail is the only thing I’d add.
Thank you for adding those wonderful words of wisdom, Patricia. Yes, it is so important to not let fear of failure hold you back!
Thanks for the tips. This rang a bell with me as I sat through my high school seniors graduation and thought about reaching one’s goals. As you imply it is a life long, ongoing process.
Hi Pat,
I know what you mean. Attending a graduation ceremony this week motivated me to think seriously about goals and goal achievement. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. I appreciate it.
I wholeheartedly agree with Patricia Patton and last but not least do not give up! My brother graduated from college at age 59!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us, Martina. What an inspiration to others your brother is!
Fantastic advice and tips Deborah.!!! And yes i agree with Patricia. Don’t be afraid to fail!
Hi Nancy,
Yes not being afraid to fail can be the most important trait that one can have as we navigate this journey we call life. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.
Great post Deborah! I find the easiest way to achieve my goals is repeating this mantra: “Love, not Fear”. If I believe that everything will work out (which I firmly do!), than it always will =)