In today’s world, we have gotten really good at the “I want that!” part of the equation. I bet…over the course of the past week…you have looked at numerous advertisements and specials related to the holiday season and found several items that made the words “I want that!” fly out of your mouth. It’s easy to do! And we have been conditioned to think in a manner that displays the ends…and not the means. The easy part is sticking your hand out and waiting like a baby in a candy store or a dog waiting to fetch a stick…the hard part is actually figuring out how to make that “I want that!” dream a reality.

You do not just have to want the latest in electronics or that car you have always desired. The “I want that!” mentality also applies to wanting a different job, way of life or a goal you have set for yourself personally. The good news…knowing what you want is the first step in achieving it. The bad news…it is also the easiest part of the equation. If you really want to obtain the life, toy or goal…you need to lay out exactly how to get there and attack the process.

How To Get What You Want

So what is the process that will bring you to what you desire?

Determine Exactly What You Want – When I say determine what you want…I mean get specific. It is not enough to say you want to be a pro blogger, live the internet lifestyle and get that fancy car. You need to lay out exactly what you want to blog about, how much money it is going to take to quit you 9 to 5, what your version of the dot com lifestyle is (fancy cars or the ability to travel where ever you want) and exactly how much money you need to make per month to accomplish this goal. While it is very easy to point at someone else and say…I want what they have, it is a much different process to lay out exactly what you want. Without this very specific goal, you are lacking the information you need to carry out the rest of the steps in the process.

Change Your Mindset…Today! – I see people all the time use speech that is counteractive to their goals. Change your “if this happens” to “when this happens”. So many times, people naturally leave themselves an out in their thought process so they are not disappointed if they do not achieve the result. You are shooting yourself in the foot by being easy on your own brain and feelings. This is not an “if” this is a certain “when” and you are going to define the when. If it was up to chance…you would be playing the lottery. Instead, you are going to achieve your goal by completing specific tasks…so start acting like you are achieving that today!

Set Your Goals High – Your end goal should be high. You are short changing yourself if you really just want a new pencil to write with. While it can be good to practice this process with smaller objects to build confidence towards your bigger goals, you need to get into the mindset that this is your one and only life. It is up to you to make the most of it. Not all goals are monetary in value. It is up to you to pick your ideal situation and go after it like crazy.

Set Smaller “Step Goals” – Every goal has steps that need to be completed. Nothing is going to come right away and really great life goals always require smaller “step goals” to get to the end result. After you have laid out exactly what you want…and your goal is high…you need to lay out smaller, short-term, “step goals” that will eventually lead to your ultimate goal. These “step goals” are the means to the end. If your goal is to make $250k per year with your business and you are making $50k right now…some of your “step goals” may be to make $75k…$100k…$150k. By setting smaller goals that bring you to the much larger goal…you are laying the foundation needed to keep everything flowing in the right direction. For each of these “step goals”, you need to lay out specific tasks that will get you to that goal much like you did with the ultimate goal.

As You Complete “Step Goals”, Celebrate Your Little Victories! – We need success to keep up driving forward. As you complete and accomplish each of your “step goals”, you need to celebrate those victories to keep the drive alive. No one likes to carry the burden of too much stress and work without any reward, so you need to use this success to your advantage! Celebrating these victories does not have to have material value. Maybe you take a day off and spend time with the family…or go see a movie…or go out to dinner with your wife to celebrate your latest achievement. Most of the time, celebrating your victories with others is the best way to keep the positive energy flowing and by celebrating…you also create even more drive to accomplish the next goal. See how you start to build up momentum?!

You Achieved Your Goal!!!! – Congratulations! You have achieved what you want in life by setting a large goal and the small steps in between to obtain that goal. It is a fantastic day where you realize your dreams are coming true. Like most things in life, you are not done. I really see life as a continually evolving entity where we are on the constant pursuit to improve our presence on this world. We have been given a gift…and by taking advantage of that gift…we are able to continually improve. By completing one goal, we have opened up another in the pursuit of our ideal lifestyle. It is time to start the whole process over again and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

If you take one thing away from this entire article, it needs to be this…write everything down. When you come up with your goal and how you are going to get there, write it down. I use a whiteboard in my office to accomplish this task as it is easy to cross things off the list to show progress, but you need to use whatever method works best for you. When you write something down, you make it real. If you just leave everything in your head, it is easy to let it get lost in the random thoughts you have throughout the day and it is easy to forget the details. This is not a random thought or dream…this is a task and tasks need to be organized and real.

As you go throughout the day…have you honestly laid down what you really want professionally and in life or are you just making due with what you have at the time?

Baby in Line Photo by fensterbme | Dog and Stick Photo by Lukje