When you have a dream or a goal, you need to translate it into smaller steps you can act on. Only then will you achieve it.
Sometimes we hope that our dreams will just somehow fall into our laps. But in reality, the only way we will ever get closer to those goals is to move in their general direction step by step, day after day. It may not be glamorous, but it’s how dreams come true!
The first step is to develop a clear picture in your mind of where you want to go so you can work backward to determine how to get there. Try a little exercise with me today to help determine your long-term goals in life. Pretend that you are nearing the end of your life and you are thinking over your years. What do you want to leave behind? What do you want to be known for?
When I did this exercise, the first thing that came to mind was that I wanted to be able to look back and see that I had created a close, happy family. I’m a pretty driven guy but I’m also a father of five, and it was important to me that I didn’t allow my career to take over. Once I established that 10,000 foot view, I could work my way backward.
I decided that creating this kind of family would require me to roll up my sleeves and get elbow-deep into the business of raising a family. I wasn’t going to be the kind of husband who left the child-raising to my wife. I would get up at night to change diapers and I would go on every outing I could. I refused to be an absentee dad.
Determining that long-term goal was life-changing for me. If career opportunities came along that threatened to prevent me from being that kind of dad, I refused to accept them, no matter how good they were. I couldn’t let anything derail me from my long-term goal.
Is it time that you tried this little exercise? What do you want to see when you look back on your life?
Come up with two or three main goals so you can begin to filter every decision you have to make through them. Determine what you will need to learn as well as how you will learn it to achieve those goals. Also think about the sacrifices you will need to make to make that dream possible, and make sure it won’t take away from what you truly value in life.
And when opportunities that threaten to take away time or resources from one of your life’s goals are presented, be willing to say no to a good thing so you can continue to aim for the best.
Leon Fontaine is internationally renowned for his ability to equip leaders with skills for success. He is the CEO of Miracle Channel and senior pastor of Springs, a contemporary church for family and career coaching with six campuses across two provinces in Western Canada. Email your comments to [email protected].
