‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.’

Now you have your dreams and you believe that you are capable of achieving them, it’s time to get ready for where you are going. You must focus on the end picture, your BIG DREAMS, and ensure that you have the people, the resources and the steps in place in order to accomplish your desires. To ensure the very best success you need to first create a ‘follow your BIG DREAMS’ action plan.

It is a great idea to begin with the end in mind by starting with the clear picture of what it is you really want to achieve (remember THINK BIG). Focus on one area at a time and determine what aspect of your life you want to improve first. It is usually best to start with the area you spend most of your time with—self, family, career or business. Self-improvement in one area will positively affect all other areas, so there is no need to develop a program for each area in the beginning.

Once you have determined which area you want to focus on, find out where you are right now. How do you see yourself now? Then fast forward the movie of your life and look at the future, having achieved your dreams. How does this make you feel? Think about what you need to do to advance forward (to fill the gap from where you are now to where you want to be) and then start setting up an action plan on how to get there.

‘The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one’ – Mark Twain

An action plan is designed to be a guide or a road map that will help keep you focused on what you want, what you need to do and when you plan to achieve it by. It is created to keep your dreams and goals clearly defined and out in front of you at all times. Taking small steps will make your journey easier and will help ensure that you get to where you are going.

Planning to achieve your dreams is similar to planning a holiday. You never go on holidays without knowing your destination, knowing what mode of transport you are using to get there, getting information and knowledge from others that have been there or reading books about where you are going.

If you really want to succeed you must read books, watch DVD”s, listen to audios, interact with others and ask questions. If somebody else has already achieved your dreams then there is no reason why you cannot achieve them also.

To help make your plans take concrete shape I recommend that you address four key questions: What? Who? When? and How?

What?
This is the broadest question to consider.

• What are you willing and able to do in order for your life to change and set your dream as a priority?
• What time, equipment, support and resources do you require in order to fulfill your dreams?
• What specific actions will you take? Consider first what you’ll cut out of your schedule in order to make space for productive advancement.
• What are you willing to give up or scale back on (say, television or excess work hours) to increase your commitment to your dreams?

Who?
Consider, in broad terms,

• Who will be involved in supporting your dreams. You, certainly, but you may also want to draw on some additional support, whether it’s a friend, a family member or a life coach www.feelingfabulousforever.com .
• Who do you know (or have access to) that could serve as a skill-and-knowledge resource for you?
• Who has achieved your dream that you can learn from? Do you have a role model? If so, what characteristics and accomplishments inspire you the most?

When?
Saying you’ll make time to focus and follow your dreams isn’t as powerful as committing to specific days and times.

• When are you going to start?
• How often will you be pro-active, for how long each day and will you commit to following your dreams until you accomplish them. Schedule some time everyday (even if it is only 5 mins) and write it down in your day planner.

How?
Once you’ve decided what kind of ‘what, who are when’, decide on how you’ll track your progress and support your success.

• How will you stay motivated to stick with your plan? For some people, hiring life coach or mastermind group is the answer. For others, it’s regular check-ins with a mentor or tangible rewards for meeting small goals along the way.

• How will you track your achievements?
• How will you respond if you run into unexpected or apparently insurmountable obstacles? What are your next steps or sources of support if things don’t go as planned?
• How will you celebrate your successes — not just for achieving your defined goals, but also for reaching key points along the way?

Take note of your answers to these questions: They’ll prove important as you work through your action plan to success.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t have all the answers to the above questions straight away. They will come. The important thing is you just have to prepare to begin and answer the questions along the way. JUST GET STARTED!

You are the most important part of ensuring that you dreams become a reality so you must continually invest in yourself.

‘Believe and act as it was impossible to fail’ – Charles F. Kettering

You are now ready to take action

Make a decision and commitment to yourself to really follow your dreams to a fabulous, happier and healthier life. Start planning TODAY!

What plans do you need to start making?

Dee