I believe it was @juansgalt, who wrote on his Facebook a while back - paraphrasing here:

A vision without a plan is just another dream.

(His FB feed grows so fast so quickly, that I could not find the exact quote within 5 minutes. But the general gist is true)

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The quote has stuck with me and encouraged me to plan my life out more strategically.
In this post I want to explain the 4 most important steps one takes in realizing their vision.

This post is also inspired by the genius Jordan B. Peterson, whose content I have been devouring.

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Step 1 - Know where you want to end up

Think about this like a literal journey: You are in point A right now, and you want to go somewhere else.
Where do I want to go? - is the quintessential question that needs to be answered before you set one foot in front of the other. Instead of starting to walk, take a fat second and contemplate your goal.

This can be any kind of goal. JBP (Jordan B. Peterson) says you should aim high, but not impossibly high - the goal needs to be achievable. A good indicator question is: Where do I want to be in 3 years and what do I want to be doing on the regular?

Got it? Great, move on.

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Step 2 - Experiment with how you get there

Say you want to get from point A to point B. There are many paths and methods of getting there. Walking, flying, taking a car... Most importantly, this step concerns itself with what works. Again in the metaphor: if you want to reach an island, walking may not be possible - i.e. you will never arrive at point B if you walk.

Hardwork beats talent

Who has not heard that. But here is a nugget of truth that is even better.

Smartwork beats hardwork

Trying to cut down a tree with a pocket knife sure is hard work. Is it smart? Not really... Once you have your destination, your goal, experiment with methods of achieving it. Learning from others peoples' mistakes sure is a help, but innovating and finding what works for you is also crucial.

Be smart about your approach. I like to bring in the principle of the ONE THING here:

What is the ONE THING I can do right now, that by doing makes everything else easier or unnecessary?

Answer this question and execute on the answer.

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Step 3 - Master consistency

To arrive at point B, you need not walk, fly or drive the whole way in a day. Most likely it is even impossible, if you have an ambitious 3-year-goal.

Breaking down your overall goal into smaller, daily or weekly goals will encourage you to keep moving forward.

Even if you just move one inch every day. Eventually, you will arrive. Grated, it may have been faster if you moved more, but you get the point. As long as you are doing something (ideally your ONE THING), you are making progress.

This consistency is what will bring you success. It teaches you not to value the end goal, but the process of getting there.

It's all about the process and the method - the goal and result is but a by-product.

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Step 4 - Document!

We humans are in flux. We change day by day. We grow and evolve. It is easy to lose track of where you came from and fill your head with semi-true stories about your origin. Too fast the "me of yesterday" is frowned upon and "reality" is "corrected" to make us feel better about ourselves.

There is a way around this!

WRITE DOWN YOUR PROCESS

Yesterday I was a lazy bum
Today I wrote a Steemit article

The documentation won't lie to you. It will remain constant and give you an anchor to adjust. It's your fixed point from which you can lever the world.

Keeping a journal is one of those documentation methods, but you can use a spreadsheet or a calendar to monitor your progress. Whatever you like best.

Point is, the documentation is what it is all about. Here your actions taken are kept for later revision. Here your sense of achievement will come in. Just imagine to flip through the pages of a full notebook and see how many tiny steps you have taken, which aggregate into a giant leap.

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By applying these 4 steps, you are on your way to realize the vision you have - to actualize your potential and your dream.

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