Finding the best way to achieve your goals can be a difficult process, especially when you seek to accomplish many goals at the same time. Setting goals allows you to not only prioritize your goals but envision how to achieve them. Indeed, setting goals is the foundational step to taking action and getting what you want done.

Here are five steps to lead you in the right direction:

Step 1.  Write

Stop thinking about your dreams and write them down. Be very specific and clear about the goal you want to accomplish.

 Step 2.  Create a Plan

Build a timeline and a checklist of the actions you need to complete to reach your goal. Do your research and model someone who is already successful. Why reinvent the wheel?  Success leaves clues. Figure out what that person is doing, alter it, improve it, and create your own idea out of it. In other words, start with what’s already working rather than starting from scratch.

Manoj Bhargava was a taxi driver at the age of 30. In 2004, he saw an energy drink at a trade show and got the idea to recreate the drink without the use of sugar. In the same year he launched “5 hour energy.” He is now worth over $4 billion dollars and has pledged to donate 99% of it.  

Step 3.  Take Action!

If you desire to achieve something, you have put in the hours. Keep your focus on the goal and eliminate anything or anyone that distracts you from reaching it. Not everyone will support your dream. They don’t see the same vision you see. You must be willing to motivate yourself. You must train yourself to become focused and disciplined in every aspect of your life.

Step 4.   Never Quit

It’s normal to become discouraged and lose motivation the first time you fail. But every struggle is an opportunity to prove to yourself how bad you want your dream.  It won’t be easy, especially when you’re dedicating all your time without seeing success. When all you want to do is quit, you have to remove the fear of failure  and think about the opportunity.

While working in a corporate office, Morad Fareed heard that the Palestinian National team was attempting to qualify for the World Cup. Even though he was living in the U.S., Morad spent a year trying to convince the coach to give a him a chance to play. His persistence got him the opportunity to tryout and eventually landed him a spot on the team. Although the team failed to qualify, his year-long experience in achieving one goal motivated him to pursue other dreams. Since then, he has become the CEO and founder of several successful businesses.  

Step 5.  Have Patience

No matter how hard you work,  no matter how well you plan, there are going to be times when failure arises unexpectedly. It’s very important that during the entire process of accomplishing your goal, you have patience and keep moving.

I’ll leave you with these words: When things don’t happen the right away, just remember: it takes six months to build a Rolls Royce, and 13 hours to build a Toyota.

Ahmad Abuleil is the co-producer and host of the ConquerHub Podcast, evoking a message of empowerment to those who desire to overcome and conquer all struggles of life on their path to success.

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