Big Goals - One Secret to Making Them Happen

By Annette Colby

"You will either step forward into Growth, or you will step back into Safety."

~ Abraham Maslow ~

As the year quickly moves forward, this could turn out to be just another day, week and month that passes by, or it could be the beginning of something new. Take a look at your life. Overall, how is it going? Would you describe your life as a joyous, passionate expression of self? Are you living your most abundant, peaceful, loving life? Everyone of us carries within an idea, a dream, or a desire. Taking action on these desires is how a relevant and personally meaningful life unfolds. Yet so often these dreams are dismissed or put on the cold back burner because they seem so large and unattainable. Will today be another day that passes by without taking action on your dream?

Question: "What could you do differently today that would effect your life?"

We generally have some sort of an idea of what we would wish to create within our life. Yet typically, that dream is also connected with the enormity of all that it would take to change the status quo. The task ahead seems huge and unmanageable. All the familiar feelings of procrastination, doubt, and overwhelm rise to the surface. It seems much easier to remain in the safety of what is familiar. How do any of us get past the plateau that we sit on?

One Necessary Step . . .

Take A Small Step Each and Every Day
Antoine De Saint-Exupery ( 1900-1944, French Aviator, Writer) wrote, "What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step. It is always the same step, but you have to take it." In other words, in the end, as adults, no one can save us but ourselves. We own, and are responsible, for our own lives and happiness.

Problems and challenges exert a force over you. You feel trapped underneath the weight of your issue, unable to move. To confront this force, you need to know what you want out of life. You need a destination in front of you, some positive goal to reach. These long-term goals focus your attention on your ideal future. They represent your final outcome.

It is important to have this big picture representation of your final outcome. It is also necessary to live in today and to choose today actions. Step back from the big picture and find what step you can do right now, today, to make your dream come true. What is one small, achievable step you can take today to move forward with your dream?

What is the definition of a small step? It is any action you can take that would breathe life into your goal, that would bring a sense of forward movement, or that would make you feel good about being involved in the ideas and desires that are most important to you. Today action steps are immediate tasks that move you closer to your long-term goal.

Small action steps are based on your long-term goal. They are important because they keep you focused in the here and now, motivating yourself with small doable decisions. Make your action steps reachable. With each action you successfully complete, you feel more energize and more optimistic about having your outcome. Here are several examples of small steps that provide a big impact:

Write down your goal on paper. Write it down every morning.

Create a simple picture board illustrating your desired outcome.

Take five minutes today to imagine yourself joyfully living your desire. Feel your body come alive with pleasure.

Create a priority list each morning and schedule your goal tasks with a specific time.

At the end of each day write down the action you completed and celebrate your efforts.
Question:

Will today be the day you gently put aside all of your excuses, and take tangible action on creating your most meaningful dreams?

Regardless of how overwhelming your goal seems, there is always a small step that would lead you toward overcoming your inertia. The size of your step can never be too small. Slowly, step by step, you will bring your dreams to life, feel more energized, and feel better about yourself!

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Dr. Annette Colby, RD can help you take the pain out of life, turn difficult emotions into joy, release stress, end emotional eating, and move beyond depression into an extraordinary life!

Annette is the author of Your Highest Potential and has the unique ability to show you how to spark an amazing relationship with your life! Visit www.LovingMiracles.com to access hundreds of content filled articles and sign up for a Fr’ee subscription to Loving Miracles! newsletter.

Setting Career Goals - 12 Questions to Consider

By Kaleb Jones

When it comes to landing the perfect job, most people have in mind what they would consider their "dream job." It may include the lifelong dream to become a firefighter and follow in your father's footsteps or perhaps you've always loved to paint and wish you could make it a full-time career. While the majority of people have dreams for themselves, it is less often that individuals actively pursue these desires.
This is why brainstorming to set career goals is a great way to further yourself in the world. First, grab a piece of paper and a pen, so you may take down the answers to the questions listed below. Some people find that additional questions may arise during this process, which you can easily add to your list and answer as well. In the end, you will be able to weigh the advantages and disadvantages associated with each of your potential career paths.
1) What Is Your Dream?
This may seem like an easy question to answer, but some people have never stopped to think about this subject. For some, the question is easy to answer and may include more than one dream. Individuals having trouble coming up with an answer to this question should brainstorm about the interests and hobbies that cause enjoyment in their life. This may help come to a conclusion.
2) Is Your Dream Practicable?
Your dream may include climbing Mt. Everest, setting up your own daycare center, or visiting a foreign country – but can it become a career? It is important to categorize your dreams as either a career-bound journey or something you can turn to for fun.
3) Do You Have Any Problems That Threaten the Pursuit of Your Dreams?
There are certain medical or physical impairments that cause a person to hang up certain dreams because the probability of achieving a particular desire is far too great. This may include dreams that are limited by others and not by determination or motivation. This may include the dream of flying fighter jets overseas, yet the dreamer lacks the eyesight needed to fulfill requirements.
4) Does the Dream Require A Certain Degree of Education, Time, or Money?
In order to achieve some dreams, there is a certain amount of education, time, and money needed to make things happens. If you want to become a doctor, you need to attend medical school, which includes many years of study. Perhaps, you want to open up your own dance studio. This means you need enough money to rent out a building and pay for supplies.
5) Do You Have Any Skills That Will Aid Your "Dream" Job?
Sometimes, the journey towards achieving your dream job is softened when you possess additional skills to make the path much easier. An example of this includes possessing a degree in Spanish when pursuing a photojournalist job in Puerto Rico.
6) Are You Financially Able to Pursue Your Dream?
Your finances will affect your ability to pursue your career dream. Some people need to take out a student or personal loan, while others may rely on a savings account.
7) If You Are Unable to Quit Your Current Job, Can This Dream Be Achieved On a Part-Time Basis?
Some people do not have the luxury of quitting their current means of income and must find other ways of coming closer to their dreams, such as attending night classes or taking a second job.
8) What Makes Your Dream(s) So "Ideal"?
When you are able to pinpoint what makes your dream so appealing to yourself, you may come up with similar ideas that will better fit into your current circumstances. It is important to find what drives you.
9) How Would You Feel If You Achieved Your Dream?
In other words, how important are the goals you will set for yourself – will you find true happiness, assist your family in enjoying a better life, or feel good that you were able to help out your community? Will your dreams boost your self-esteem and confidence and place you where you want to be in life?
10) What Are the Negative You Automatically Feel About Your Dreams?
Some people automatically gain a bad feeling about their dreams for many different reasons, which only decreases the chances of achieving goals. Perhaps you feel your goals will take too long to accomplish or you are depressed about your current financial situation. These are the types of things you need to overcome in order to succeed.
11) Does Anything About Your Dreams Scare You?
Overcoming the things that scare you about your dreams is an important part of the process. Some people avoid setting career goals because they fear rejection, failure, or what others may think.
12) Do You Have Outside Support For When You Attempt to Pursue Your Dreams?
Individuals are more likely to achieve their dreams if they have the backing of family and friends. It is pretty hard to overcome obstacles, internal fears, and reach goals when there are negative voices whispering in your ear. This is the time when you jot down some of your main supporters.
After you have completed your brainstorming list, you have entered a process that should have enlightened your prospective regarding your future. Overall, you should be able to better set the goals that help you achieve the kind of career you wish to pursue.
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