How to accomplish any goal & live an amazing life
Over the past few weeks, I have had multiple conversations with people who have big dreams and ambitions.
They know what they want out of life, but they don't know where to start or how to get there.
Four Months Ago, I was in this same spot.
I wanted to build a life that allowed me to work remotely and travel the world, but I didn’t know where to start.
Today, I sit here in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico as I write this blog post in coffee shop overlooking the sunset on the beautiful Pacific Ocean.
My purpose with this blog post is to teach you a simple goal setting tactic that I learned from great authors such as David Allen and Todd Henry.
This tactic will help you turn your dreams into reality.
At the end of the post, I have also included an example showing how I used this strategy to build a remote income in just four months.
Step 1) Define your start and end point
Get out a blank piece of paper or start a new document on your computer.
At the top of your document answer this question:
What is my current situation?
At the bottom of the document answer this question:
What is my desired outcome?
Focus heavily on this desired outcome. Visualize what it is that you want to achieve.
What will your life look like when you achieve this desired outcome?
How will you know once you have achieved success?
Answer these questions in detail at the bottom of the page.
Step 2) Define the actions and milestones in between
In-between your current situation and your desired outcome should be a whole lot of white space.
Simply start filling in the gaps.
What are the quantifiable milestones that you need to hit to accomplish this goal?
What action steps or projects will you need to work on to make this a reality?
Write out everything you can think of in chronological order from the top of the page to the bottom showing the steps and milestones you will need to hit to accomplish your goal.
Step 3) Define your next action
At this point, you have identified your goal and all of the steps you need to take in order to achieve it.
Now it is time to make this a reality.
What is an action that you can take right now that will move you toward that goal?
Once you know what that action is, take it.
And then once you complete that action, take the next.
Just keep going and working toward each milestone and task on this list.
Keep this document posted near your workspace and refer back to it on a regular basis.
Don't let yourself forget about your goal. Stay focused and you will eventually achieve it.
How I used this strategy to build a remote income in just four months
Four months ago I was living in Nashville with no source of income at all.
Today, I am sitting in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico while I work remotely.
This is the strategy I used to turn my goal into a reality.
Below I have outlined the actions and milestones that enabled me to turn this remote working dream into a reality.
My Current Situation:
Living in Nashville
Broke and disgraced after a failed business venture
No source of income
My Desired Outcome:
Living in Mexico
Working Remotely
Enjoying Mojitos on the beach
The Action Steps and Milestones in between
Current Situation: Living in Nashville, Broke, No Source of Income
Action: Learn a skill. Sign up for Lynda.com and learn HTML, CSS, Wordpress & Squarespace
Milestone: Get first client
Action: Build out portfolio of additional clients
Action: Cold e-mail potential prospects who have terrible websites
Milestone: Land first client without ever meeting them face to face
Action: Buy a planet ticket for 2 months in advance
Action: Continue cold e-mailing, reaching out to potential prospects and closing jobs
Action: Sell my house, purge my life of stuff, put the remainder in storage
Milestone: Fly to Mexico
Desired Outcome:
Living in Mexico
Working Remotely
Enjoying mojitos on the beach
Take the next step
When you plan out a new goal, it can seem overwhelming at first.
This strategy makes it simple. It will allow you to turn even the most ambitious dream into a reality.
What goal do you want to achieve? What are the steps you need to take to achieve it?
Write out your goal, milestones and actions in the comments below.