We’re at the forth key to making your goals a reality. Here’s a recap of the first 3 keys: 
The forth key to making your goals a reality is creating the plan. I’m sure we’ve all heard it said that a goal without a plan is just a dream. If we want to make our dreams a reality, we have to do some planning. Once you know what you need to do to get you to where you want to be, you know what you need to do on a daily basis to get you there.
The challenge can be to remain flexible. The plan is there to be a guide, not to be treated as the only way that you can achieve your goal. Consider your plans a roadmap to a destination, the destination being your goal. If the route that you’ve planned out to get you to your destination has road closures due to construction or an accident, you don’t turn around and head home – you find an alternate route to that destination. This same mindset is needed as we start the journey towards the realization of our goals.
Benchmarks are like guideposts on the journey. They help us to track our progress and keep us motivated. Building in small rewards once you achieve each benchmark provides incentive to keep plugging away, even in challenging times.
The key in this is to stay focused on the goal at all times. This allows you to remain open to all of the opportunities that exist to make your goal a reality. Sticking with the plan, limits your options. The truth of the matter is that we don’t know what we don’t know. As you continue to pursue your goals, people and opportunities will present themselves that you never could have imagined. An open mind is the greatest success factor in achieving our goals.
A plan provides purpose. It gives us something to work on, something to focus our energies on. With a plan and the other three keys already covered (and mentioned above), we’re almost on our way to realizing our goals. Stay tuned for the next post, where I’ll be talking about the fifth key to making your goals a reality – working the plan. ♥