It is human to want something more, to be a better person; but the primary obstacle 99% of us face is our own lack of discipline and organization. By taking these five simple steps you can become a more effective, accomplished, and satisfied person.
- Write it down Goals are just dreams until they are written down. Write it down and post it somewhere (screen saver, blog/website, refrigerator, etc.) where you will see it every day. Then write a plan of action, simple tasks that you will do to see your dream realized.
- Make it public Tell everyone you know and talk to what your goals are and then solicit their advice. This is key because first, it involves them and invokes their interest, and second, they are much more likely to remember your goal and will ask you how it is going whenever they see you. This will serve to hold your feet to the fire, as you will want to be able to truthfully and happily attest to your progress.
- Refocus daily In life there are always many more demands on our time and attention then we have the capacity to serve. Therefore it is essential to refocus daily by reminding yourself what your goals are and, upon the assumption of any task, ask yourself “how does this get me closer to my ultimate goal.” One effective tactic is to begin each day with a prayer and to reaffirm your goal and to pray for the self-discipline and organization to see it through. Then, before going to bed each night, write for no more than five minutes what you did that day to get you closer to your goal.
- Pat yourself on the back If you’ve gotten this far you are ahead of 90% of your peers so take some time out to reward yourself. Better still, include the people who love and support you. Remind yourself why you are in the game, refresh your mental and physical capacity to achieve, and then get right back in the traces and plough ahead. If you’re doing it right, it will be a labor of love.
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