The focal point in my life lately has been establishing and completing goals. Nothing is more important to me right now. I know that in order for me to have the life that I dream of, certain things have to happen. I know that a lot of other people want more out of life. Hopefully this will help :-)
1. Define what it is that you want. If you don't know what you're looking for, then how are you ever going to find it? Be very specific about what you want. Do not hold back. For example, my dream life is to work remotely (my own business) and travel the world with my husband and kids. The quicker that I establish that dream, the sooner I can take steps to eventually have that life.
2. Define your action steps. What is it that you have to do to get to your dream life? Don't look at it as one big, overwhelming step. Look at it in baby steps. Sit down and make a list of each tiny goal that you have to accomplish to reach that one big dream. For me that would be buying a Macbook, taking a course in iOS development, passing the course, landing a job in tech, relocating, gaining experience, working on my app idea, etc.. Your dreams unfortunately are not going to happen overnight. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
3. Define your reason why. This is very important. WHY are you trying to accomplish this dream? What fuels you to have this particular life? If you are a single mom, busting your butt, working two jobs and going to school.. my guess is that you want a better life for your children. This is your 'why'. For me, I believe that life wasn't meant to just pay bills and die. We are all programmed to live how we are living because that's what society has created for us. I believe life should be lived more freely. When I am forced to go to a job I hate, work 40 hours for shit money, do the same thing day in and day out.. that is my fuel for change. So my 'why' is freedom. Your 'why' should always be emotionally based. When you find yourself ready to give up, remember your 'why'.
4. Surround yourself with positive people. Nothing will stump your progress like negative people. It would help if you had a mentor or someone that you can call when you are in a slump. Someone that you know only wants the best for you and doesn't project their own insecurities in to the conversation. Someone who will provide constructive advice/criticism to help you get closer to your goal. For example, when I tell someone my dream, I usually get something along the lines of "You're living in a dream world. That's not how life is. You have to work a 40 hr job and pay bills. That's just the way it is." Anyone that has any exposure at all knows that isn't a true statement. It's only true if I allow it to be. Talk to the thousands of people who work remotely and travel most of the year. People who have no awareness of their own dreams will always make yours seem impossible and futile. You will find that most of these people are often miserable with their own lives. Learn to ignore these people and if possible, avoid them.
5. Stay positive! The situation that seems to happen the most is we establish our goals and start working towards them and then we get discouraged and quit. You have to keep going. No one has gotten to where they want to be without some set backs.
J.K. Rowling - Divorced, single mother living on welfare.. Rejected by the top 12 media publishing companies.
Oprah- Fired from her first job as an anchor for being "too emotionally invested" in her stories.
Stephen Spielberg - Rejected by a film school TWICE.
Thomas Edison - Told by teachers that he was too stupid to learn anything.
Walt Disney - Was told that he lacked imagination.
Albert Einstein - Did not speak until he was 4 years old.
Stephen King - His first book 'Carrie' was rejected 30 times.
Michael Jordan - Cut from his high school basketball team.
Sir James Dyson - The creator of the Dyson bag-less vacuum, created 5,126 prototypes before he created a working product.
Vera Wang - Failed to make the 1968 US Olympic Figure Skating team and was also passed up for a position at Vogue.
Vincent Van Gogh - Only sold one painting while alive.
Harrison Ford - Was told by an executive that he would never make it in the movie business.
Steve Jobs - Was fired from his own company in 1985.
Bill Gates - His first company prior to Microsoft failed miserably.
These people are worth millions, if not billions of dollars. The one thing that they have that others lack is persistence. If you are going to make it, you cannot be mentally weak. You have to decide that no matter what happens or what anyone says to you, you will find a way to make it happen. When you find yourself thinking something negative, consciously shift your thinking to something positive. This will take time. You have to rewire your brain after years of negative thinking.
I know that my road ahead is going to be very challenging. I am going to be challenged intellectually, financially, and emotionally. I never in a million years thought that I would attempt to be an iOS engineer. To Brandy 1 year ago, that would have been a far fetched idea. Luckily, things have happened along the way that have changed my thinking. I can finally take my interests and turn them into dreams accomplished.
I hope that you all will do the same :-)
"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals."
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