8 Steps to Take Charge of Your Life
by Jo Condrill
Every day millions of people let their inner fears stop them from
creating the life of their dreams. No one will deny that it is
scary to step out of your comfort zone, but once you challenge your
fear and take action, you can attain great things.
1. Dream Great Dreams
Imagine you could be, do, and have anything you want. How is what
you want for your future different from your life today? Once
you've identified your dream, you can take the steps to make it
come true.
2. Make a Decision
In every decision we make, we exert a power to shape and control
our own life. Unfortunately, instead of pursuing our own
empowerment, we sometimes blame our choices on things that have
nothing to do with us. Understand you have power over your personal
choices. Notice how your life changes with every decision you make,
no matter how small. Take responsibility for your decisions so you
can shape your ultimate path.
3. Exercise Your Power to Choose
Simply dreaming great dreams will not change your life; rather, it
is what you do with these dreams that is important. Sift your
dreams, created in your right brain, through the logical sieve of
your mind-your left brain. In order to achieve the dream, the left
hemisphere has to believe that the dream is within the realm of
possibility. Only then can the subconscious mind help us make the
dream happen.
4. Form a Support Team
Enroll people in your dream who can help you attain it. Many people
find it difficult the accept help. They think they should be able
to do everything themselves or that they will feel obligated to
someone for their assistance. Remember, no person is an island. No
one has all the answers and there are many unique ways to pay
someone back. Find support early in the process and your journey
will be much more fun and rewarding!
5. Keep Score
Keep track of your progress and decide if where you are now is
where you projected you would be. Learn from your successes and
failures and determine what you need to work on to achieve your
goals.
6. Establish a Baseline
The baseline is where you are now; it is your line of scrimmage.
With all you have built, now it is time to move forward. If
something interrupts your progress, you will need to evaluate what
went wrong, make some adjustments, and start moving again.
7. Know Where the Goal Line Is
The goal line is your desired outcome. As you focus on the
long-term goal, don't forget the short-term goals. Setting and
attaining small goals helps give your self-confidence a boost and
keeps you motivated to continue plugging toward your long-term
goals.
8. Reward Yourself
Kudos from others are great, but it is also important to reward
yourself. Commit to paper how you will reward yourself when you
reach a certain goal and follow through. Take that exotic vacation
you have dreamed about or buy something special to remind you of
your success.
The thrill of the game of life is charting a course, facing
challenges head on, and holding someone else's hand along the way.
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Either way, when you focus
on the big picture and refuse to let past mistakes keep you down,
you create a future that is filled with possibility. So live to the
fullest in the present moment and make the most of it to achieve
your vision.
