How to “make time” for you (#12):

Know where you’re going!

If you’ve ever used MapQuest or Google Maps, you know how important it is to enter two things in the map-making device: 1) where you’re going 2) where you’re starting. Once you’ve done that, the mapmaking device then lists the steps you need to take to get where you want to go.

The same thing is important for your life. You need to know 1) where you are going and 2) where you are starting. Once you answer both of these questions you can more easily fill in the steps you need to take to get to your desired location.

Sadly, most people who lose time today are unsure of where they’re going and they bounce around from one time-wasting step to another. You don’t want that. You want to know – precisely – where you’re going.

To help you determine where you’re going, consider the following four items 1) Mind, 2) Body, 3) Relationships, 4) Financial. Think about these in detail. For example, what do you want most for your mind (books, thoughts, etc.)? How about your body (appearance, weight, ability), your relationships (who with?) and your financial dream (net worth)?

Next, write down a statement about yourself that incorporates all of your thoughts. A simple way to do this is to start your statement with any of the following expressions: 1) “I am unique because” 2) “I am the only person who” 3) ” I am the best at” 4), “I am known for” 5) “I am recognized as.”

The statement you choose from thinking about this will help you get a picture of where you’re going.

Now think about the one specific person you can picture who best represents your dream and write down their name. (This person now becomes your model so think about what they do, picture how they do it, and this will help you see the steps you want to take.)

Once you’ve determined where you’re going, it’s important to write it down.

If you don’t write down your specific destination, you’ll be working only with an idea and the world is loaded down with millions of ideas that are simply floating around in the universe. When you write down your destination, you’re making it tangible and part of the world.

Nothing great happens when you keep things in your head!

When you write down your ending destination, be sure to write it in the simplest possible terms – no long paragraphs! When you create a simple, easy-to-identify destination, you can remember it not just in your head, but also in your heart.

Once you know where you’re going and where you’re starting from, you then – just like the mapmaking device –can begin to fill in the steps you want to take.

Never, ever worry about taking “perfect” steps. Forget perfect. You want progress, not perfection. Way too many people keep from taking steps towards their destination because they are worried about making a mistake.

If you’ve ever taken a trip, surely you’ve discovered that that every now and then a road you were taking has a detour, which routes you around the road you were on. This is normal.

Mistakes are normal and, if you make one, simply get back on track.We learn from our mistakes and sometimes those very mistakes show us a new point on the trip that we enjoy seeing and never would have known about otherwise.

A clear vision propels you and gives you a sense of purpose. Not only that, a clear vision helps you make time for yourself by anticipating possible roadblocks and eliminating time-wasting routes, diversions, and distractions.

Does this ring true to you?