Less talking, more doing!

What is the one thing you really want to do, but somehow you just never get around doing it? There is always something preventing you, from circumstances to finances and as the time go by, your dream stays but a dream. You know what; it’s never too late to make your dream a reality.

For it to happen, you have to have a plan with specific steps and deadlines to follow for you to see your dreams come true.

Many people struggle to overcome their problems because their goals are too vague. To help you develop goals that are clearer and easier to set your sights on, think of the acronym SPORT, which stands for:

Specific: Be precise about your goals. For example, if you want to improve your time management and be more productive, write yourself a to-do-list at the beginning of each day and tick it off as you go along. Even though things will come up in the course of the day that you didn’t plan for, add it to the list, tick it off, and give yourself credit. For some people this type of time management does not come naturally, you, therefore, need to make a conscious decision.

Positive: State your goals in positive terms, encouraging yourself to develop more, rather than less, of something. For example, you may want to gain more confidence (rather than become less anxious). You’re more likely to end up where you want to be if you focus on getting to your destination rather than on what you’re trying to get away from.

Observable: Try to include in your goal a description of a behavioural change that you can observe. Then, you can tell when you’ve achieved your goal because you can see a specific change. For example, if you want to lose weight take your measurements and take before-and-after photos to observe the progress you are making.

Realistic: Make your goals clear, concrete, realistic and achievable. Focus on goals that are within your reach, and that depends on change from you rather than from other people. Try to visualise yourself achieving your goals. Realistic goals help you to stay motivated and focused. Ensuring your goals are realistic doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t dream big.

Dream big, but realise that big dreams are made up of smaller realistic steps that need to be achieved first in order to reach your end point. For example, you can dream of becoming a successful engineer one day. In order for that to turn into a reality, you need to do maths and science homework diligently every day so that your marks are good enough to get into the course.

Time: Set a timeframe to keep you focused and efficient in your pursuit of a goal. For example, if you’ve been avoiding something for a while, decide when you plan to tackle it. For example, if you and your colleagues come up with a good business idea, either start immediately or set a time and a date. If you and your family are talking about how nice it would be to go a theme park – set a time and a date and follow through on it. Most children don’t take their parents seriously anymore, because they keep making empty promises that never come to fruition. Less talking – more doing!

Your destiny and reason for living are wrapped up tightly in your dreams and desires, which were placed there to be transformed into goals - like the genetic information inside a seed. You need to stay focused and release all doubts. Remember that life is happening for you, not to you.

This article is an extract from Lynette Beer's book If you want to you can. A life of success & a spirit of excellence. Click here to get you copy.