Where do you see yourself in five years ?

Here’s a good question to ask ourselves……

Where are we going in life?

Five years from now I’m sure we will be closer to our destination if we take the right path !

We don’t want to kid ourselves do we, some journeys are more difficult than others !

Life is about constant, predictable patterns of change, and the only constant factor will be our feelings and attitudes toward life and where we would like to be. We as human beings have the power of attitude and that attitude determines choice, and choice determines results.

All that we are and all that we can become has indeed been left to us to decide and interpret through our attitude and choices.

Life is like the changing seasons—we cannot change the seasons, but we can change ourselves. So the first major lesson in life to learn is how to handle the winters. They come regularly…. right after autumn. Some are long, some are short, some are difficult, some are easy, but they always come right after autumn. That is never going to change.

Here’s the great challenge of life…… We can have more than we’ve got because we can become more than we are !

Can achievement be broken down into steps?

It isn’t always that clean and easy, but those who achieve great things usually go through much of the same process, with many of the items listed below as part of that process. So if you have been struggling with achievement, look through the following. Begin to apply them and you will be on the road to achieving your dream.

Step 1: Dream it.

Everything begins in the heart and mind. Every great achievement began in the mind of one person. They dared to dream, to believe that it was possible. Take some time to allow yourself to ask “What if?” Think big. Don’t let negative thinking discourage you. You want to be a “dreamer.” Dream of the possibilities for yourself, your family and for others. If you had a dream that you let go cold, re-ignite the dream! Dreams are just like fires…. if you don’t keep feeding them they will die out !

Life is too short to let our dreams go.

Step 2: Believe it.

Yes, our dreams need to be big. They need to be something that is seemingly beyond our capabilities. But it also must be believable. We must be able to say that if certain things take place, if others help, if you work hard enough, though it is a big dream, it can still be done.

A good example: A person with no college education can dream that he will build a £50 million (or $ & Euro) a year company. That is big, but believable.

Bad example: A 90-year-old woman with severe arthritis will someday run a marathon in under three hours. Yes it is a big dream all right, but also more impossible than earning a decent amount of money in her time remaining ! – So should she instead focus on building a 50 million-a-year business!

Step 3: See it.

The great achievers have a habit. They “see” things. They picture themselves walking around their CEO office in their new 25 million corporate headquarters, even while they are sitting on a folding chair in their garage “headquarters.” Great free-throw shooters in the NBA picture the ball going through the basket. PGA golfers picture the ball going straight down the fairway. World-class speakers picture themselves speaking with energy and emotion.

All of these focus their minds to control the body to carry out the dream.

Step 4: Tell it.

One reason many dreams never go anywhere, is because the dreamer keeps it all to him/her-self. It is a quiet dream that only lives inside of his/her mind. The one who wants to achieve their dream must tell that dream to many people.

One reason…. As we continually say it, we begin to believe it more and more. If we are talking about it then it must be possible.

Another reason….It holds us accountable. When we have told others, it spurs us on to actually doing it so we don’t look foolish.

Step 5: Plan it.

Every dream must take the form of a plan. The old saying that you “get what you plan for” is so true. Your dream won’t just happen. You need to sit down, on a regular basis, and plan out your strategy for achieving the dream. Think through all of the details. Break the whole plan down into small, workable parts. Then set a time frame for accomplishing each task on your “dream plan.”

Step 6: Work it.

Boy, wouldn’t life be grand if we could quit before this one! Unfortunately the successful are usually the hardest workers. While the rest of the world is sitting on their sofas watching repeats on TV, achievers are working on their goal—achieving their dream. If you work on your dream each day, eventually you will achieve it.

Do you know of this saying…..

Rome wasn’t built in a day !

Step 7: Enjoy it.

When you have reached your goal and you are living your dream, be sure to enjoy it….. In fact, enjoy the trip, too. Give yourself some rewards along the way. Give yourself a huge reward when you get there. Help others enjoy it. Be gracious and generous. Use your dream to better others. Then go back to No. 1. And dream a little bigger this time!

Just one final point

I’m not saying this route will be easy….. But it will be worth it when you reach your dream