Getting started on your goals
Goals. They are something we all have, and that help us progress in life. Without the direction goals give us, we might be floundering around not sure where to go, or what to do to make it happen. The thing about goals is that setting them is easy, thinking them is easy, making them happen is not always easy. It is easy to say, "My goal is to have a big house, a boat, and a large bank balance." It is a lot harder to make it actually happen. The following is a look at how to get started on your goals so that they have a chance of happening.
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Step one: You are living your life, not a rehearsal.
Too many people have specific notion of what they want in life, but a vague notion of when that will happen. The phrase, "Someday we will have..." is all too common, and is usually an indicator that someday is never going to happen. How many people are living today like it does not matter, and thinking that their future will be better, different, magical? People do not just get homes, money, success, love, etc. because time passes, they get it because of actions they take today. So, quit living today like it is a dress rehearsal to prepare you for someday, rather live it like it is the real thing, because it is. What you are doing now will impact what you do in the future, so live today for today.
Step two: Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Most people do not get their goals started because they require them to take risks, and to get outside of their comfort zones. If you want to be wealthy, you have to invest, and use your money more wisely. This is risky. It means not playing as much, changing your financial habits, and risking the loss of some of your money. It is hard. Money is not the only example. How can you expect to someday have a happy family life if you won't extend trust and love to someone today? If you are going to set goals, they are goals because they are not easy to reach. This is most always because they cause you to risk, stretch, and become slightly uncomfortable. If they didn't, what would the point be? So, get used to the idea that to have the life you want you have to stretch yourself some, and your comfort zone may have to go by the wayside.
Step three: Define.
If you want to get started working towards your big goals, like having a huge house, a nice car, a boat, etc. you have to define steps to get you there, so that you can get started working toward them. For example, to get a big home, you have to have good credit. So, set a goal to get your credit where it needs to be. To get a big home you need to have a low debt to income ratio. So, set a goal to pay down your debts. To get a large home you have to have a steady income that supports the loan size. So, start today getting the education, and job skills to get a position that would provide that. You have to define it to reach it!
