“From Vision to Victory” - 7 Simple Steps from Status Quo to Success

More than a tag line, “From Vision to Victory” is a way of life. It is the heart of self growth. It’s the story of my life and it can be yours in seven simple steps.

At what seemed like a stopping point to me, Napoleon Hill’s classic book, "Think and Grow Rich," had me thinking. “What if--what if I could become a mid-level manager in five years?” I would be on easy street instead of the poverty level. Audaciously, I wrote that thought on paper as though it were a goal then went back to work. It seemed like an impossible dream. I was just a part-time admin person.

Thoughts are things, though, and that thought wouldn’t let go of me. It sent me to the Human Resources department over and over again until they allowed me to try for a developmental position. That was the first of a long string of successes that resulted from self growth, personal development, or self improvement, whatever you choose to call it.

Courage, ability, and dreams kept me going until one day, I led a group of 3,000 Toastmasters to rank number one in the world, a feat they had never before accomplished; published a book, became a professional speaker, and then started a company. GoalMinds, too, began with a dream “Touching lives, making a positive difference.” As Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, the German writer said, “What you can do or dream you can do, begin it! Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”

Seven simple steps can lead you to your next level of success. Just begin it.

Step 1. Dream great dreams. Be bold. What seems audacious at first will be seen in a different light when you have a system. What would you like your life to be like in five years? Give it some thought. See it; dream it with your eyes wide open. Smell the aromas, hear the sounds of success -- perhaps the waves lapping on the shoreline or the birds singing in the trees. Paint a mental picture of the future you.

Step 2. Make an informed decision. To move toward your dream, it’s important to figure out what’s been holding you back. The three answers that usually come up are, “I don’t have enough money,” “I don’t have time,” or “I don’t know how.” Find your obstacles, name them, and then look for ways around or through them. Buy time by rearranging your schedule, reducing or eliminating idle time such as watching television. Take some not-for-credit classes. Look for hidden assets. Discover talents and abilities that you are not currently using. Make a decision followed by a firm commitment to take action if you decide to reach for your dream.

Step 3. Form a Support Team. If you’ve gone this far, it looks like you have decided to reach for your dream. Now it’s time to share the dream with a trusted friend or relative. First pick someone who is habitually supportive. Having a support team is definitely an asset. But what if you must tell a habitual “nay sayer”? Brace yourself; build up your belief. Your commitment will soon be evident to everyone.

Step 4. Develop an Action Plan. Make a list of everything you can think of that you need to reach your dream. You won’t know everything at the beginning, but write action items as you think of them. I have found that things happen to help me without my asking when I have a definite idea of where I’m going. At this point you will begin to see a plan taking shape.

Step 5. Take note of your baseline. Your baseline is where you are now. Try to quantify it. Plotting a baseline on a graph works best for me. That way when I look back after a month or two, I can see how much I’ve accomplished. If you plot a path to what you plan to do, you can later see the gaps between what you planned and what you accomplished. You then have choices to make.

Step 6. Set your goal line. If it is five years out, set intermediate and near-term goals. Even when the goal is the World Cup or an Olympic Gold Medal, many smaller victories need to be achieved along the way. Take the first step today.

Step 7. Reward yourself and others. We need to "encourage the heart" along the way so that we have staying power. While it may be easy to reward others with a thank you or a trophy, we often to fail to acknowledge our own small successes. It is important to form the habit of stopping to mark the moment.

Seven simple, not necessarily easy, steps definitely can carry you from where you are now to where you want your future to be. From Vision to Victory! I did it, so can you. Just follow the path.

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