How to Get What You Want

We are now 3 1/2 months away from the end of the year. 

That's when everyone engages in a frenzy of New Year Resolutions and all of the "let's make a fresh start" motivation that infects everyone.

Let's talk about the one thing hardly anyone talks about: how to actually get that change you want.

12 Steps to Help You Get What You Want

These steps are great food for thought.Start thinking about it now. Think so deeply that these steps seep into your subconscious mind.

1. Dream.

If you're afraid of dreaming about what you want because you're afraid you won't get it, then you're already lost. Dream about what you, think about it, and make it a dream so rich in sensory detail that it's very nearly a virtual reality experience.

2. Sure, go ahead and set a goal.

Commit to it by writing it down. Write down what you want to achieve and also the price you'll have to pay to achieve it. We all pay, one way or the other. Maybe the price is working toward the goal when the rest of the family is watching TV or playing a game on Xbox. Maybe the price is getting up an hour early or staying up when everyone else has gone to bed. Then ask yourself: "Are you really willing to pay the price?"

3. Develop mental discipline.

Everything worthwhile can only be achieved through focused, consistent work. Focused, consistent work is achieved by mental discipline. Establish how often you will work. Make a schedule and keep to it as if you were being paid a salary.

4. Imagine you have already achieved what you want. Think of yourself as one who achieved what you want. See yourself post-achievement. How will you think? Feel? Look? Let others see you are dedicated to the goal. Believe in your ability to achieve it.

5. Learn the skills and craft necessary to what you want to achieve.

Whatever it may be, know everything about it. Strive always to improve. Start a project that is geared toward what you want to achieve. Complete it. Then start another one.

6. Expose yourself to the best examples of what you want to be or achieve. Meet those who are successful in doing what you want.Ask for insight and guidance.

7. Be willing to put yourself out there. Success isn't achieved by shrinking violets. Be your brand. Build your brand. No one will ever discover you and what you can do unless you let them see you and your craft, skill, and/or talent.

8. Organize your personal work space. If what you want is something that can't be done where you work, set up a personal work space at home. Keep it workable, not a cluttered mess. Enjoy going to that space because it means it's time for you to work on what you want.

10. Manage your time. If you say you'll dedicate an hour to working toward what you want, don't fritter away your time with email, social media, phone calls, or any of the other distractions. Use the time effectively—no matter how small or how large the block of time. 

11. Network. Join in forums and subscribe to lists where others seeking the same goal congregate. Meet them. Share the joys and sorrows. Learn from them. Give so they can learn from you.

12. Celebrate. Always celebrate your triumphs no matter how small. Don't wait for those big scores to pop the bubbly. Big scores don't come along very often. Celebrating the small victories helps you mark progress and keeps you from burning out because getting what you want takes time.

Takeaway Truth

You can have anything you want, but you can't have everything. So figure out specifically what you want, and go for it!