These 5 steps are simple to understand, but not always easy to implement. Let’s go over each step in a bit more detail.

You absolutely have to know where you are going to achieve it.

This is obvious and for specific tasks is often inherent. For example, your goal could be to make dinner or write a report or buy your partner a birthday gift.

Setting a bigger picture goal, such as what you want to achieve over the next 1, 2, 5, or 10 years, is often overlooked. And even if you know you should do this, it can be difficult to do.

But it is the first step to success on any level, so put in the effort to figure it out.

Once you have your goal, write it down and be specific. Write down exactly what you want to achieve and when you want to achieve it. The more specific the better.

You must believe that you can, and will, achieve your goal.

If you have done it before, such as cooking dinner or writing a report, then that belief is easy to attain.

For more lofty goals, such as running a marathon or making your first million dollars, it may seem unattainable.

Look for examples of others who have done what you want to do. For most things there are many people who have done it before you. Read their biography, listen to their podcasts, watch their Youtube videos.

Whatever your preferred way to take in information is, do that, and keep doing it until the belief is within you.

Another helpful tool for cultivating belief is visualization. Read your goal statement at least once a day and visualize you having already achieved it. Don’t just picture success, feel the feelings that achieving the goal will bring you. Imagine it as vividly as you can.

This is an ongoing process. Start it now and keep doing it while moving through the rest of the steps.

Imagine you need to go to your friend’s housewarming party. That is your goal. You know you can do it because you have driven your car many times. That is belief.

However, you have never been to your friend’s new house before. You need directions or you will be driving around forever.

This is obvious from a navigational perspective, so why do people keep trying to achieve their goals without first having a plan?

Or perhaps they have a plan but they’ve just made it up themselves. Admittedly, this is better than no plan, but not by much. It’s like drawing your own map to get to your friend’s house. You may know the general direction or even the suburb, but you would still have to knock on a few hundred doors before finding the right place.

It is far more efficient to find someone that has done what you want to do and imitate them. And the best thing is, with all the information on the internet these days, there is a proven plan to achieve almost anything you want readily available for free or very low cost, such as the price of a book or online course.

Once you have your roadmap it is time to make an action plan. You may think your roadmap is your action plan, but it is not.

An action plan is more detailed. How much more detailed depends on you and the goal you want to achieve.

It is highly possible that your roadmap comes with an action plan, especially if you purchased an online course, but you still may need to break this down more.

Generally, the less competent you are at achieving the goal, the more detailed the plan should be.

You basically want to break it down into bite sized steps. I like to make them singular tasks that can be done within half-day. You may be comfortable with tasks that take a whole day, or an hour-long task. It is a highly personal thing.

The most important aspect is that the task should not be overwhelming. If it feels overwhelming then you need to break it down some more.

Many things never get started because people just don’t know where to start.

“I just don’t know how to start” is a common excuse for not achieving goals. Finding a road map and creating an action plan breaks this barrier.

You can have the best plan in the universe. It doesn't mean squat if you don’t act upon it.

Make yourself a promise that you will do at least one thing in your action plan every day.

Make it a priority, be persistent, and don’t give up.

The Only Success Book You Need

There are A LOT of books about success out there.

They all essentially give the same steps I have just given. They just say it in slightly different ways.

However, the more you drill this information into yourself, the greater your chances of success.

It cultivates self-belief.

I love reading biographies of successful people. The same lessons come up in different ways all the time. But if you want a specific success book then I highly recommend ‘Think and Grow Rich.’

Get it here.