Step 2: Commit Yourself

by Preston Squire

This is an extrapolation of Step 2 in the 5 Key Steps To Achieving Goals

Step #2

Commit Yourself

We are at the start of a new decade.  Whenever a new year, decade, century rolls around we like to look ahead at the possibilities.   But let's look back for a second.

Ten years ago was the beginning of the new millenium, the best calendar change any of us alive today will ever witness.  While we all remember the overblown threat of Y2K once the clocks moved to 12:01am we all breathed a collective sign of relief and moved on looking forward to what the 2000's would bring.

It was the year that George W. Bush was first elected President, the USS Cole was badly damaged by suicide bombers in Omar, Tiger Woods became the first golfer in 47 years to win three majors in a calendar year and Madonna married Guy Ritchie.
Thinking back, do you remember what your hopes and dreams were then?  Are you today where you envisioned yourself to be in ten years back in 2000?

Most likely you've succeeded in some areas but not in others.   Barring severe unforseeable events, the reason you succeed in some areas but not others all boils down to your decisions.   Day by day the decisions you made inexonerably lead you to this point.   Consciously or subconsciously you made value decisions on what to focus on.

Now the areas where you succeed may not be the areas you felt were the most critically important.  So why didn't you focus on those areas instead?   Because you never truly decided to.  You never commited yourself fully.

The word 'decision' comes from the latin word 'de', which means 'from' and 'caedere' which means 'to cut'.   So to make a decision literally means to cut from all other alternatives.   You decide to do one thing and cut away any other choices so you are left with only the one path to follow.
©Preston Squire 2009
Preston Squire is an author devoted to providing free inspirational, motivational and success materials. You can find more articles at http://www.thecuphalffull.com/

Step 1: Clearly Define Your Goals

By Preston Squire

This is an extrapolation of the first step in the 5 Key Steps To Achieving Goals

Step 1

Clearly Define Your Goals

As we approach the end of the year many of you will be reflecting back on the year that was and asking yourself how it went.   Are you better off than you were a year ago?  The same?  Worse?  Regardless of the answer, you probably want 2010 to be even more productive.   The very first step in ensuring it will be, is to decide how you want it to be different than 2009. 

Okay, I know last time I said I was going to do a series based on those 5 Key Steps of Achieving Goals but you know what?   I hate doing these series.  I like to write what's on my heart each day and really, while it may be more haphazard, I know I'll produce a better piece if I'm writing about what's inspired instead of some pre-determined topic.

So without further ado:

Without Action Law of Attraction Has No Traction

By Preston Squire

This has always been one of my biggest pet peeves.   People who want to just sit on their couches, visualizing away and expect the universe (God) to hand them whatever they want.    And we are all guilty of it at some point, myself included.  We simply don't want to do the work involved.  We want the easy way out.  In the sensational hit movie 'The Secret' it appears that all you have to do is 'Ask' and 'Recieve' but that's oversimplifying.

5 Key Steps to Achieving Goals

By Preston Squire


Step #1: Be Clear on What You Want

Be clear on want you want and why.  If you're not sure, ask yourself what you don't want.   Whatever is the polar opposite of that is what you ought to be shooting for.

Be clear on why it's important to you.   Make a list of all the benefits that achieving that goal will deliver and a list of all the adversity not achieving it will bring.

Set definite goals.  Be specific.  If you want money, for example, you could state that you want to earn an additional $250,000.00 by the end of next year. 

Make the goal something you believe you can reach even though you can't see how it's possible.

Great Expectations

By Preston Squire

"Now, I return to this young fellow. And the communication I have got to make is, that he has great expectations." - From 'Great Expectations' by Charles Dickens

If you want to achieve greatness in this life, you must first develop your own great expectations.

Go to through life hoping for money, health, happiness but expecting none of it is totally self-defeating.   Let me restate that.  To hope for one thing, but expecting another is totally defeating ones own self.  You are causing your own defeat before you even begin.

"What the mind of man can conceive and believe, It can achieve." - Napoleon Hill

5 Steps to Creating Empowering Beliefs

By Preston Squire

To Be(lieve) or Not To Be(lieve); That is The Question

You don't need to believe in God, the Law of Attraction or any other such thing to accept one simple fact.  

If you hope to achieve anything in life, you had better first believe you can.

4 Ways to Create Burning Desire

by Preston Squire

Consider the story of the disciple who went to his guru one day and asked, “Master, how do I achieve enlightenment?” The wise old guru directed the disciple to the bank of the Ganges River and had him kneel with his head over the water. Then the guru put his hand on the young man’s neck and pushed his head below the surface of the water. After a minute and a half the young disciple was frantic. He pulled and heaved and flailed his arms, but the grip was like iron. He could not get his head back out of the water. After two minutes, when it seemed as though his lungs would burst, the grip was released.

The young man’s head jerked out of the water and he took great gulps of air into his tortured lungs.

The guru smiled. “Tell me,” he gently asked, “ what was your greatest desire just then?”

“To breathe,” the young disciple stated emphatically.

“Ah,” the guru said. “When you desire enlightenment to that degree, it shall be yours.”

To be able to persevere and succeed, despite whatever obstacles life puts in your way, requires burning desire.


This is most everyone falls short. While we all have desires, few us of ever cultivate a desire so strong that we will stop at nothing to achieve it.