Step #3 - Make your plan

Its obvious to most that you need to make a plan in order to achieve your dream-goal, right? We're use to making plans for many things in life.

You want to go to the beach?  Make a plan!  A plan can be simple:

• Pack snacks
• Leave at 7 am
• Head to "famous" beach
• Have fun
• Head home

The above is a simple plan ... it's lacking a lot of detail and I'd say it is more of an outline of a plan than an actual plan.  Especially if the famous beach you want to go to is Waikiki Beach and you don't live on Oahu.  Let's say you live in Seattle ... about 2,700 miles away ... by plane or boat!

Your plan needs to have:

• Starting point - where are you now?
• A timeline with detailed steps and a DEADLINE
• Ending Point - what does success look like?
• Contingencies - what if step "C" gets messed up?
• Two budgets - One for time and one for money! 

So the plan to go to a famous beach needs to take more things into consideration:

• That you are starting in Seattle
• That you want to leave on a certain date (and return on another date)
• That your destination is Waikiki (you'll probably need a place to stay)
• What if there is no place to stay at Waikiki - where else might you stay?  What if you can't afford the cost or the time in going to Oahu - where else could you go?
• What is your money budget?  You've got to be able to get there and back, right?
• What is your time budget?  What are you going to do in Waikiki and when are you going to do it?  

The bigger your dream-goal is the better/more detailed your plan needs to have in it!

Have a blessed day!

Step #2: Be Held Accountable!

Eventually you will see and understand that all of the steps to achievement/success are a must ... but this one is probably the most over-looked and under appreciated step.

You absolutely must be held accountable for your dream-goal!  And for most of us, dare I say all of us, you will need an accountability partner (AP) or mentor.  Could you do it yourself?  Maybe, but probably not.  This is especially important if you have super-sized your dream-goal!  Your dream-goal is too important to not subject it to criticism (so that you get it right) and support (from people who care enough to want you to succeed).

Photo by Joshua Earle - Zermatt, Switzerland

It is YOUR VISION, YOUR DREAM, YOUR GOAL!  Having an outsider is extremely helpful for the days when you lose focus, hit a wall or lose confidence.  This person(s) needs to be allowed to be critical and supportive.  You need to make sure that this person(s) knows what your goal is, why you want to achieve it and when you want to achieve your goal.  This person(s) needs to know these things because they will need to remind you of what you are trying to achieve, why you what to achieve it and what your deadline is.  This person(s) needs to care enough about you and your goal that they can also be candid with you.

What be better would be to have more than one AP.  And even better than that would be to have multiple APs with experience in helping others achieve their goals.  They will bring experience, criticism, contacts and directions.  For many people helping others achieve their dream-goals is more fulfilling than achieving their own.  The APs are out there, build yourself a team of them and let them help you achieve your dream-goals!