Ambition

I wonder what my parents were thinking and feeling when they were my age... Ambitions never end no matter what stage of life you are in. This is from the DLM Blog:

Dumb Little Man - tips for life

How to Achieve Ambitious Goals

Posted: 24 Apr 2009 07:35 AM PDT

Do you get jealous of the couple next door? You know, the people who seem to have everything including a big house, nice car, and leftover money for holidays with the kids? Don't be. Set your sights and make it happen.

I am currently building a house, about to go on a trip overseas, and planning on starting my own business in the next few years. All of this and I’m only 20 year old and admittedly on a very low income. How do I do it?

I’m going to let you know how I achieve all those big goals that so many people think they can’t do. You can’t just wait around for the perfect opportunity because more likely than not, it will never come. Create your own opportunities and you will get what you want.

1. Know what you want
   The key to accomplishment is to be motivated, determined, and positive. It is not going to be easy, there will be many bumps and bruises along the way and you will never get through them if you go into this project half-heartedly. You can achieve anything if you put your mind to it. Know your direction and pursue it - - in full.
   


2. Brainstorm
   Get a piece of paper and write down all your ideas about your goal. Be as ambitious as you want, but be ready to be flexible down the road because all plans change at some point.
   


3. Organise
   Get all of those ideas you just wrote down and organize them into workable groups. Say you want to start your own business? Your ideas could be put into groups such as: what your company will do, what staff you plan to have, what kind of customers you want, where your business will be, etc.
   


4. Budget
   Do some research and find out how much money your goal is going to cost you. If you want to go on holiday, go online to get prices of flights, accommodation, travel expenses, etc. Try not to underestimate, you don’t want to be running into hidden expenses later on.
   


5. Sort out your finances
   This can be a tedious job but is essential for goals that involve spending money. Know what money is coming in, and where your money is going out, then look at your budget. Do you need to cut back on your spending to save more? Most of the time, this is where people give up on their goal because they aren't willing to sacrifice. Will you need to temporarily get a second job? Will you need a loan?
   


6. Timeline
   Break your goal up into smaller goals, and put them along a timeline. This will not necessarily be the exact way it pans out, but if you have a rough idea of when you want to achieve your goal, you have something to work towards.
   


7. Plan
   So now it is time to formulate your plan of action. Put all of the essential information you have into one document, then you can know what you need to achieve and when you want to do it.
   


8. Implement
   This is where your motivation, determination and positive attitude kick in. Unless something substantial and unforeseen happens, you should have no reason not to carry out all the steps to achieving your goal. And even if it does, that does not mean you have failed in your attempt. Just go back through the steps you have taken and see if there is a way you can overcome it.

This list sounds simple because it is. There is no reason for anyone to sit and wallow in regret or doubt when it comes to hitting goals. Make it a simple process that allows for a slow progression and you'll see just how simple it can be!

Written on 4/24/2009 by Ashlea Wheeler. Ashlea is a young woman currently working in Print Production but hoping to start her own tourism business.

Photo Credit: tgraham