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Don’t just talk the talk – walk the walk. The reality of the real world is, if you only talk about what you want to do, nothing will happen. Dreams can’t be achieved through the simple act of wishing.
Unfortunately, not everyone is born as a character in a Disney movie. It would be great to live as Cinderella with our Fairy Godmother ensuring all our dreams came true. We’d all love to hear the words “Bibbity-bobbity-boo! You now have a limited-edition Bugatti, your own resort, and an all-you-can-eat buffet just for you.”
But let’s face it – that’s all just fantasy. It takes action to get what we want and to grow into the people we desire to be. So, here is something you should say to yourself every morning as you start your day: “Stop talking and start doing!”
These are five tips on how to take that first step.
This includes both short-term and long-term goals. Writing out your goals allows you to figure out what you like, love, hate and ultimately what you want to do with the rest of your life. These goals will make your life’s inspirations clear. Where do you really want to be in 5 years? What do you want to learn in less than 6 months? What environment do you want to be in today? Get your creative juices flowing! Making goals for yourself brings your visions to life.
When you have all your goals written down, add a few ideas about how to achieve them. Maybe a short-term goal is learning how to play volleyball over the summer. Ideas on how to achieve this may include setting up a volleyball court in your backyard, dedicating 10 minutes a day to watching “how-to” videos on YouTube, or even joining a volleyball club. Remember, whatever you want to do, get up and do it!
This is an important skill toward achieving the goals you wrote down in the first step. How can you possibly get anything done if you don’t even know where to begin? This is why being organized is a crucial step in learning to walk the walk. Try buying a planner or carrying around a pen and notebook. If you’re tech savvy, download a planner app or use the calendar on your phone. These tools are designed to help you stay organized. Jot down everything – important dates, meetings, assignments, due dates for projects, birthdays, etc. Don’t leave anything out.
Although some people would rather just keep a mental note of tasks or events, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Also, having everything jotted down for you to see takes your organizational skills a step further. For example, you may notice you have 10 tasks on Tuesday. Why not spread those activities throughout the week? You may even see you have five big assignments due before the end of the month. This allows you to plan out the weeks ahead so you’re not chugging energy drinks the night before the deadline. Remember, having exceptional organizational skills allows you to stay ahead of the game.
It’s hard being around individuals who don’t believe in you. It takes a toll on your mental state if you’re around people who constantly tells you, “I don’t think you can do that” or “That’s not for you.” But do you know one great thing about life? It’s YOUR life. You have control of who your friends are. You have control of letting go of those who suck the life out of you. Having friends, family, and colleagues who give you positive vibes can really keep the fire going in you. Remember, in order to get up and do something, you can’t have anyone pushing you down.
I know it’s easy to just tell yourself, “Well, at least I tried.” Don’t ever use that excuse. It will stay an excuse and it will forever be your out for talking instead of doing. Don’t forget that you’re reading this because you want to stop talking the talk! You want to take on some action! Do you really want to be at the end of your life feeling that you weren’t working toward your goals? No! Get up and live a self-fulfilling life.
Let’s go back to the volleyball example. Maybe you just aren’t getting the hang of learning how to spike the ball. Keep practicing! Learning how to do anything you’re unfamiliar with takes some time. That’s what life is all about. When we were babies, we didn’t come out of the womb already knowing one plus one equals two. With time, we learn. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
You can’t really reward yourself if you’re not doing anything. Setting up ways to honor your work ultimately pushes you to get things done. Take this time to review your short-term and long-term goals. Now, look over your steps and ideas on how to achieve these goals. With that, jot down a way to reward yourself every time you complete one of those steps.
Tell yourself, “You can’t have this or you can’t do that until you get this done!” Tie in step two of staying organized. Look at your planner and play a game with yourself. You see that you have five tasks to complete before the end of the month. Challenge yourself to get it done by the second week. Then, give yourself a prize if you achieve it. Treat yourself to a day at the spa, buy the new makeup palette that you’ve been wanting, dedicate a day to binge-watching your favorite show or whatever tickles your fancy. Remember, it feels good having something or doing something you love – but it feels even better knowing you deserved it.
