Where Will You be in Five Years!

Where will you be in five years?

Boy, talk about your open-ended questions. When we don’t have any idea where we’ll be next week, much less in five years, most of us feel we’re doing great just to get through today. So where do I get off posing such a thought-provoking question?

If you’re one of the fortunate few who happen to be right where you want to be in life, then this article is less about you and perhaps more about someone you can help. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t remind you that even the most content among us have desires to be someplace other than  we currently are or someone we have not yet become. So let’s assume for a moment that we all have a desire to be something more, even if it’s merely as a higher income earner. OK, point established. Now what?

Well, now we need a clearly defined objective or destination. But before we can realistically expect to establish that, we must first make an honest assessment of where we currently are. Like any good roadmap, it’s only good if you know where you are and know where you’re headed.

First thing’s first–Where am I?

Here’s the great news–wherever you are in life, whatever status or station you occupy...isn’t permanent. For the majority of us, that’s a very good thing. Equally as relevant–for the majority of us, we’ll be in a better place assuming we continue to gain skills and experience

that’ll position us for higher rewards down the line. But it is imperative that we take stock of where we are–good, bad, or indifferent, in order to establish a starting point for our journey.  

So, take a good hard look at your life and be brutally honest about where you are. Take note of all that you like about it inasmuch as what you dislike about it. Each fundamental element contains the nuances of your current stage of life. Now don’t get too comfortable with it because we’re getting ready to leave the station and begin the journey.

Where am I headed?

Now, begin to create a mental picture of what your ideal life looks like and focus on that picture as it develops over time. Use the images as a catalyst that drives you away from where you no longer wish to be, but focus instead on that place you desire to be. Use both positive and negative elements to drive you to take action to do something each day to put one foot ahead of the other.

A great deal of us continually educate ourselves either formally or informally, and in doing so, we continue to enjoy the rewards of that higher education in the form of personal growth, increased responsibility and influence, and higher income. Education is a cornerstone in our quest to get to where we desire to be. Life is a learning process. And it’s fair to mention here that street smarts as sometimes just as important as formal education…just keep looking for ways to learn and grow.

How do I get there?

Once you have a clear picture of where you desire to be, you should continue to develop the images that support it. Place images on your bathroom mirror or refrigerator that personifies the lifestyle you know you can achieve! Look for ways to invigorate your journey and savor the milestones you achieve along the way. Break your timeline into achievable segments and celebrate short-term victories along the way. There are few things sweeter than knowing you’ve taken a significant step closer to your goals and aspirations. The peace of mind and confidence that accompanies it is indescribable.

Break five years down to five months, five weeks, or even five days…or five minutes. The value of your life is worth even the five minutes you take to consider the intent of this article. Look, if you can decide in five minutes do something positive for five days that takes you closer to realizing your dream in five months and then five years out, then I suggest you operate in manageable "bite-sized" increments until you can handle a timeline that works for you. Every incremental effort of progress takes you that much closer to realizing your potential to become that which you desire.

In order to make a significant change in your life down the road it only takes a small effort today. But that effort needs to have consistency and commitment behind it. A one-degree course change in your life today will put you on a different, life-changing path for the future. Make the commitment today to take control of your life and get it done! You have ONE life…no one will magically come along and change it for you!

Five years…five months…five weeks…five days…five minutes…what’ll it be? Don’t be stranded by your own misconceptions. You have what it takes to control the very destiny of your life.

 

Until next time!

 

- G -

"Time has a way of reminding us of its perishable nature in the retrospect of our reflections."

Gary Westfal -

If you enjoyed this article, you can help by recommending it on Google by pressing the "g+1" button below...

----------------------------------

Get your copy of my first novel Dream Operative. Visit my website (www.gwestfal.com) and order your copy today!

Receive a notification anytime I publish a new blog (currently about every two weeks), visit my Facebook page: G. Gary Westfal, Writer, Artist Educator

Once there, click on "Get Update via RSS" on the bottom of the left column. You'll be subscribed and will receive notification whenever I publish a new blog or provide updates to my novel Dream Operative. And help me by recommending this blog to others and "liking" my FB page.

Please visit my All American Warriors! bog at: http://allamericanwarriors.blogspot.com/

Please visit my website: www.gwestfal.com