I often hear people complain about how their life hasn’t turned out the way they wanted it to, and I can relate because I was one of those people (sometimes, I still am!). It’s not easy and takes work to put yourself in a proactive mindset. Remember YOU have the power to take back your life.
The key is to become intentional, purposeful, and consistent when it comes to your decisions at work, in life and in all the choices that matter to you. In other words, live your life by design NOT default.
To make that happen, there are three simple steps that you can take starting NOW.
Step 1: Create A Vision
It’s really key that you understand your vision more clearly. Ask yourself:
Why am I in this job? Is this what I want to do with my career?
Where do I want to be a year from now? 5 years from now?
Is this career something that is genuinely meaningful and satisfying to me or am I only doing it because I’ve been told to play it safe?
Do I want to contribute to the community? If so, how?
How do I want my work to connect with others?
Only when you get clear about what you most want and why it matters at the deepest level can you let go of what you don’t want and focus your energy and time on the things that matter.
Step 2: Set SMART goals
A vision without action is a mere dream. So break your vision down into small achievable goals that enable you to focus your time, energy and resources most effectively.
SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. Studies have shown that setting SMART goals is an effective way to get to your dream destination.
Once you set your goals, you can create specific action steps to achieve them. Make sure you set deadlines and schedule actions in your calendar so you keep working on them. There are several journals and planners available or if you prefer to go paperless, check out apps like Trello and Asana to keep you on track.
Step 3: Assess and Reassess
To be successful, it’s important that you track your activity and results. Consistency is key. Set aside time each week to reconnect with your vision and the higher intention behind it (your why), to review your goals and to adjust your actions accordingly.
Reassessing your goals at the end of every month, quarter and year is another good practice. As you look to the year ahead, believe me, it is entirely within your power to live life by design, not by default – and achieve your work and life goals.
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