5 Steps That Will Allow You To Take Charge Of Your Life

5 Steps That Will Allow You To Take Charge Of Your Life (c)2002 Donald Goss

Do you find yourself setting goals and then not following through on them? You start, then get sidetracked. Before you know it, you have fallen back into your old pattern and given up on your dream once again. If this sounds like you, don't give up. Read on...

For the first 38 years of my life I lived a day to day existence with no real direction. Like most folks, I was raising my children, going to work and pursuing my hobbies. But I had no idea where I was going or what I really wanted out of life. I had dreams of course, but no real goals.

It took me another 10 years to sort it all out. But I finally realized there are 5 key ingredients to living a life that is fulfilling. I am now happier and more focused than I have ever been. I am going to share with you 5 steps that finally allowed me to take charge of my life.

It is important that you completely understand each step in the process. I have listed all of the steps with an explanation of why each of the five is important to master.

Step 1: Faith

You have to believe in something! Otherwise you will be easily swayed by the winds of change. Mood changes, outside influences and unexpected events will wreak havoc with your dreams. I know from experience. I'd set goals and some disaster would always come along. Then I would start to focus on the problem instead of the solution. That "wrong thinking" was caused by my lack of faith in something more powerful than myself.

I finally came to believe that God put me here for a reason. Why do I believe that? Because, once I began to *really* pay attention to the things that were going on around me I noticed that I was drawn to people, places and events exactly when I needed them. When you start to pay attention to what is going on in your life, you will notice the same things I just mentioned, happening to you. As a result your faith will grow, slowly at first, and then exponentially.

I realize that some of you are protesting. You see no evidence of God or Supreme Intelligence. I have two words for you... Quantum Physics! If you do not believe that there is Divine Order and Intelligence at work in this universe, then you are living in an intellectual dark ages.

Relatively new discoveries in the field of Quantum Physics have more scientists than ever admitting that an Intelligence has be at work in the universe. If you want to learn more about the subject, I highly recommend the book, "The Spiritual Universe" by Fred Alan Wolf, AHD. (He is a Quantum physicist, by the way).

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Step 2: Direction

You must have direction if you are going to accomplish anything worthwhile. Direction is made possible by having *faith* in your choices. If you choose the wrong goal you will have a difficult time following through. You will feel like a fish on dry land.

Here is an example of some questions you can ask yourself to make sure that your goals are compatible with your belief system:

1) Will I be happy doing this? 2) Will I be helping others in some way? 3) Will I grow spiritually as a result?

If you can answer "yes" to all of the questions you choose for yourself, then you will be able to have faith in your choice and thus, direction. Direction is simply the exercise of planning how you are going to get from point A to Point B and then focusing on it.

Step 3: Consistent Action

You can only reach your goals by taking consistent action. Taking consistent action is easy to do once you have faith and direction. Being consistent means setting aside time to accomplish your goals. You will have to give up some other activities. But, not as much as you might think.

You can become an expert in your chosen field by spending as little as an hour a day studying, if you do this consistently. For example, if you spend one hour a day, five days a week pursuing your goal, in 1 year you will have devoted 260 hours. That would be the equivalent of a 6 week college course.

Consistent action also includes taking care of yourself. You will function much more efficiently if your mind and body are in peak condition. Get plenty of rest, take walks, enjoy nature, exercise regularly, spend time with family and friends. Moderation is the key to consistency. Make time for both work and play.

Step 4: Flexibility

Don't fear change. Change is your ally. Change becomes necessary based on information that wasn't previously available. Do you realize that even driving to work you are constantly making changes. Pay attention to exactly what it is you are doing the next time you drive your car.

Staying in your own lane is a series of corrections. You drift slightly one way...then you correct, drift the other way...you correct. You don't think about it conciously because it has become second nature. But, it is happening nonetheless. Don't be afraid to make changes. Think of change as the steering mechanism on the journey toward your ultimate destination.

Step 5: Patience

The other four steps are essential. But without patience you will never reach your destination. You will give up in frustration. This is a tough one to master. Many of us, especially in this country are addicted to instant gratification. We don't like to wait for anything.

Fortunately, the universe does things in it's own time. The Creator will give you what you need. But, only when the time is right. Don't expect everything to fall into place for you immediately. Most of us need time to grow and mature before we can handle the responsibilities that come with our new life.

That's all there is to it. Five simple steps. If you are going to stay on course you should constantly remind yourself that you are on a quest. This simple prayer will help.

Daily Prayer:

Lord, Please remind me that you put me here for a purpose. Lead me in a direction of your choosing. I have faith that Your plan is better than mine.

Grant me the wisdom to set worthwhile goals, the persistence to take consistent action, the flexibility to accept change and the patience to accept Your gifts when You decide that I am ready for them. Amen!

----------------------------------------------------------- Donald Goss is the editor of Lightning Solution, a free ezine featuring traffic generating tips, business building ideas, inspirational thoughts, freebies and more. Don also offers a simple affiliate program that pays a whopping 50%. http://www.lightningsolution.com" target="_blank">http://www.lightningsolution.com mailto:ezinesubscribe@lightningsolution.com -----------------------------------------------------------

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