Every of us wants to get something out of life.  It can be business, love, money, success or recognition etc. Yet too many people still fail to realize their desires, and nearly all of them for the same reason.  They seem to go whichever way the wheel turns, as if they have no control over their situation.  If their vehicle takes them to places they never intended to be, or crashes into the brick wall of utter despair, that's just the cruelty of fate.

Don't get me wrong, I realize that truly horrible things do happen to folks, and through no fault of their own.  Gigantic obstacles are placed in our way sometimes, that seem absolutely insurmountable.  Generally speaking, however, getting what you really want out of life is a matter of three (possibly four) simple steps.

Decide what it is you want the most. 

Decide what to aim for, with some specificity.  Don't make a laundry list of wishes, but focus on one thing at a time.  If you're not sure about where you want to go, there's no point in getting into the vehicle in the first place.

Create an action plan. 

This will be your map for getting from point A, where you are now, to point B, where you want to go.  You know what you want, what steps are you going to take to get it?

Some things are obvious. If you want a better job, start with skills assessment and maybe some additional training.  Then you'll need to sell yourself and your skills either to your present employer for a promotion into the new position you want, or to a new employer.

Other goals will require a bit more thought.  Some will really leave you stuck without a clue of how to get there.  Not to worry, though, no matter where it is you want to go, someone, somewhere has probably already been there.  So what did they do to get there, what road did they take?  Books, biographies and such, can be a real help with this.  So hit the library if you're in need of guidelines.

Get ideas, get advice, create a good map for yourself, and know where you're going. 

Write it down, and make sure you can read it every day.

Do what you planned. 

Take the steps you outlined on your road map and be persistent. If you run into naysayers, simply ignore them.  Everyone who ever did anything great always ran into naysayers.

Never take your eyes off the goal. Keep pushing. Whatever you do, do not give up until you have what you desire in your hands.  Never, ever give into the notion that you 'can't get there from here.'

Decide - Plan - Execute.  It is really that simple.

Sometimes your action plans may not get you to where you want to be.  Maybe something is missing, maybe some step is not quite right.  If you find this is the case, after exercising your full patience and persistence, you simply must rework your plan.

Look at it, figure out what's missing, and get back at it.  It's just like following a map through a place you've never been before.  If you find taking a particular road takes you to the wrong town, rather than turning around and going home, giving up, you take a second look at your map, figure out where you made the wrong turn, and get back on the road.

Whatever you do -- Keep your hands on the wheel!

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