Create the Career and Life You Want

Your destiny is in your hands.

I was in the middle of finalizing several items that are going to be placed in a new product: Star Achievement Series® Facilitator Kits. I came across a letter I wrote that gets distributed to participants who go on the Star Achievement journey. Here is a segment of what I said:

“Your destiny is in your hands. Every day, you have the opportunity to create the career and life you want. Yes, we know there will be a few boulders or rocks on the journey. These are opportunities to grow.”

Boy, this could not be a better time for you to absorb this (and for me to be reminded of what I say). In fact, Jasmine Freeman just talked to me about how many assistants are interested in learning about setting goals and mapping out a plan. So I think it is a good idea for me to dive into the topic during January.

As we begin a new year, we must realize our life and destiny IS in our hands. Yes, things are not always going to go the way we planned. And life is going to throw obstacles and rocks at us but it is still up to us as to what we do with what you have been delivered. You choose whether to see barriers and roadblocks as tests of your commitment to your goal or a “sign” that you should give up.

In the Star Achievement Series®, we spend a half day teaching goal setting. The most important topics we cover are: barriers, roadblocks, commitment, discipline, and belief. There is a difference between a dream and goal setting. A dreamer says, “I want to make more money this year.” A goal setter says, “I am going to make $5,000.00 more by December 1, 2016.” A dreamer says, “I need to lose weight.” A goal setter says, “I am going to lose 15 pounds by June 1, 2016.”

Goals are specific and detailed. That is the hard part for everyone. Sitting down and painting the picture as if it were finished. For example, if you want to take a cruise later this year with your family,

  • What kind of cruise?
  • How many days? 3 days? 4 days? 7 days?
  • Are you going on a luxury cruise or a very tight budget cruise?
  • Do you want to go to the Caribbean? Alaska? Europe? If it’s the Caribbean—West or East?
  • Do you want an inside cabin, no windows? Cabin with a small window? A cabin with glass sliding doors?
  • Do you want a child-friendly cruise ship or one that is geared toward adults?

And so on. Am I making my point?

Today, I want to focus on, what people typically call, barriers. I’m choosing to put this topic toward the front of goal setting because you should identify possible barriers to your goal when you write your goal. Here is why.

Opportunities for Growth

As you chart your course and set out to reach that goal, you will encounter barriers. At that point, you have a choice. You can turn around, crawl back into your comfort zone and give up, or you can find ways around the barriers. You can use them as learning experiences. If you choose the latter and I hope you will, you will learn more than you ever would by having everything go smoothly.

Think ahead about what kinds of barriers you might encounter along the way or even in just getting started. Think of anyone or anything that might be considered a road block. Finances could be an obstacle. A leader could be a barrier. Write a plan for overcoming your barriers, obstacles and road blocks. This places you in a proactive position where you are in control, not the road block. Provide a fallback plan. It’s worth it! A fallback plan will act as a parachute or safety net. You will have these ideas available whether or not you need to use them.

Continue your path, stay on course, and make it to the finish line. Share your specific next steps to create the career and life you love with us in the comments below.

Joan Burge

P.S. If you love nurturing others, teaching, coaching or mentoring peers, you might want to consider being a facilitator for the Star Achievement Series®. By bringing this program into your company, you would achieve a BHAG (big hairy audacious goal)!! Wouldn’t that be exciting! Or if you aren’t up to teaching, maybe you can at least get the Star Achievement Series® in your company.

Join us for our February webinar for more on this topic. Sign up here for updates on when this webinar will be released.

View our recent webinar, Overworked but Underutilized.

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