How Do I Get From Where I Am Today (HERE) to Where I Want to Go (THERE)?
You are here… it’s exactly where you are meant to be right now. Sure, sometimes “HERE” sucks but it is what it is and as long as you are committed getting over “THERE” that’s what matters.
What steps do you need to take to get from Here to There?
There are usually a gazillion steps, especially if the leap from Here to There is a big one (and I hope it is!)
But having a gazillion steps causes people to not do anything — it’s too mind-boggling, too overwhelming, and if it seems impossible people often make a decision to not even try.
I don’t want you to do this. So I suggest breaking down the process into 4 or 5 massive steps first. As Stephen Covey says “Start with the end in mind” which is the “There” and work backwards. What 4 or 5 massive steps or stages would you take to get there?
Let’s say you imagine your ideal day in your ideal lifestyle 10 years from now is that you live on an acreage, with horses, and goats, ducks and chickens and the work you do is that you have a social enterprise business which installs solar electrical systems. Having a social enterprise is important because you believe in giving people a hand-up. Solar is important to you because you value having a healthier planet. The acreage is important to you because you love being outdoors and you adore your animals. (I’ll skip the rest of the details for this imaginary story). So how do you
- Start a business
- Learn to install solar electrical systems
- Buy an acreage
- Enjoy your animals
Start going backwards…
- To start a business you need to learn about entrepreneurship, leadership and management including systems and processes, financial management, marketing, sales, customer experience, and, at some point hiring, training and leading employees.
- To install solar electrical systems, you need to have an education and be physically fit for the installation.
- To buy acreage, you need to have saved money for the down payment and you need to qualify for a mortgage.
- To enjoy your animals, you need time.
Then, keep breaking it down…
- To have room for your animals, you need acreage.
- To buy the acreage you need to have the money for the down payment.
- To get money for the downpayment and to afford the mortgage, you need an income
- To start a business you need business/entrepreneurial and leadership education, guidance and support (and money)
- To install solar electrical systems, you need to learn the trade
So stage 1 of this plan could be to get qualified as a solar electrical system installer so you can get practical experience and earn an imcome. (personally, I think it’s better to to ensure that your values, purpose, vision and ideal day in your ideal lifestyle are better addressed in Stage 1 — afterall you don’t want to waste time creating something that doesn’t align with your true self.
Stage 2 is better handled understanding whether the business idea is viable and you have the aptitude to run a successful business.
Then do the Stage below
However, I know that most people will jump right in to the “what”, rather than the “why” (why you are doing this) and “how” (how you’ll ensure the best chance of success).
The point of this post is about Achieving Your Goals, whatever they are.
So break down stage 1 first into Steps
Stage 1
Step 1 — Find out what the requirements are to get into the program
Step 2 — Determine what courses you need to take to meet the requirements
Step 3 — Figure out how you are going to pay for your education (bursary, scholarship, loan from parents, work while you take your courses, student loan etc.)
Step 4 — Set Goals
Step 5 – Create a plan to achieve your goals.
Step 6 — Use the T-Form to help you get from “Here”– where you are today — to “There” — where you are headed.