One such person in my life is my mother. At the tender age of 54, she made the bold decision to go back to school, and get her masters degree in architectural design. To say that her task was daunting would be a huge understatement. Almost everyone around her was less then half her age, and the technology involved was hard even for the most computer literate.
Through her I learned that you can achieve anything you set your mind to, and that there are seven things that you need to do to get there.
1. You’ve Got To Be Fed Up With Your Current Situation. My mom had a corporate job that paid her bills, but was unfulfilled in other areas of her life. She longed to have something in her life that excited her. Sure she had three (great) children, but they were all grown up now, and she needed to start living for herself.
2. Set “Unrealistic” Goals. If anyone had asked my mom 10 years ago if she would go back to school, she would have laughed in their face. It was just too crazy. But in the end she had to aim for the sky, to open her eyes to the opportunities only open to “big thinkers”.
3. Break down your Big Goal into more manageable parts. My mom didn’t just decide to get her masters, and immediately start applying to schools. She first took an art class at the local community college. This was less intimidating, and served to give her confidence, and refresh her skills. Her next step was to enroll in more classes at the university in her city. When she felt sure of herself, she started researching masters degrees around the country.
4. Take a Chance. You will never get anywhere if you don’t put yourself out there. Yes you may fall flat on your face, and come back all battered and bruised, but you may also get a taste of success. That is something that you can’t get if you do not do anything.
5. Align Yourself With People That Support You. There will always be those people that are quick to say that you can’t do it. My mom heard everything from, “you are too old”, to “you all ready have a good career”. She had to separate herself from these people, and look for those who fully believed in her. If all your friends say that you can’t do what you want to do, guess what, you need a new set of friends.
6. You Must have Faith. You don’t have to be religious, but you must believe that the universe is made up of intelligent design, and that you are a part of that design. My mom has a strong belief in God, and that is what helped her in times when she doubted herself, and it seemed that everyone/everything was going against her.
7. Never Quit. There are going to be numerous times when things are not going your way. You’ve got to make a commitment to yourself that your goals are too important to give up on- no matter what happens.
If you apply these 7 actions, nothing will be able to stop you. You can achieve you highest goals, and make your dreams a reality.
JJ Richards writes for HighCorda.com.
