The first step in developing an action plan to achieve a dream is to understand the starting point. Clearly understanding and defining this ‘right now’ position does two things:

– It gives you a benchmark to ultimately recognize how far you have come;

– It helps define the road you need to travel to get from ‘here’ to ‘there.’

Write your thoughts down objectively, document them, so that you clarify the details exactly. Examine your relationships, job or career, physical/mental health, finances, spiritual situation, education/intellectual growth, etc.

1 – What things about yourself do you like? What are your strengths? We are not taught to celebrate our strengths. In fact, when we are in school, we are told that we need to concentrate on our weaknesses. If our penmanship is bad, we need to work harder on that. The danger here is, when we get really good at something, we often forget whether we really like it or not. But what are your strengths? What makes you unique?

2 – What things about yourself do you not like? Weaknesses? Being able to recognize your weaknesses give you the power to change them. If you want to.

3 – What things about your life do you like? What things about your life do you not like? Bad environment? Wrong job? Wrong career? Don’t condemn yourself for your situation. But also, don’t blame your situation for your failures. Doing that means you are giving control over your life to something outside of yourself. Be selfish. Keep the control by recognizing the situation, but refusing to let it color your life.

4 – What things about yourself would you like to change? Decide what you really want, not what someone else tells you should be on your list of things to want. If the latest technological gadget does nothing for you, why spend your energy getting (buying) it? Determine what you really want.

5 – What things about your life would you like to change? This is not necessarily the same as things you do not like. Maybe you like drinking, but you know it is going to hurt you in the long run and is not a self-affirming behavior.

6 – What things have you already changed? Lost that 20 pounds? Moved away from a bad situation? Left a peer group that was damaging? How did you do it?

7 – What things, through no action on your part, have changed?

8 – How did you deal with the change?

9 – How did you feel after the change?

It can be very empowering to write down the changes you have made, to realize how far you have come.

Identifying your starting point helps you find the direction you need to go.

Copyright © 2011 Sandra Kischuk and Living Beyond Limits. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Sandra Kischuk and Living Beyond Limits with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.