Make your goal a reality, not a wish

Jennifer Wagner Enlarge

Most people have goals that they hope to accomplish. Some people achieve them and some people do not.

What makes the difference between a goal being a just a wish or becoming a reality?There are three key factors.

Decide what you want and believe that you can achieve it. People who achieve their goals clearly envision what they want. There is a deep desire inside of them to achieve that goal, and they have the unwavering belief that they can and will accomplish it.

Belief is not enough. Make a plan. People who achieve their goals, write it down and develop a plan of action as to how they are going to do it. They don’t just talk about their goal. They break it down in to smaller, achievable tasks that move them closer to reaching it.

Take action and stick with it. How many of us have set goals, made a plan and started working toward it, only to give up before we achieve it? We get discouraged when things get tough, we may feel that it is taking too long or seems like a daunting task to achieve.

People who reach their goals have a plan in place and they take action. They don’t just talk about how they are going to do something – they do it. If there are obstacles along the way, they don’t give up. They find a way around it. If they face challenges, they learn from them and change their tactics. If there is a detour, they get back on track at the next opportunity and continue on to their destination. The most important thing is that they are persistent. They don’t quit.

Going after your goal is not easy, but it is worth it. In the book, Dare to Live Without Limits, Bryan Golden writes, "Everything worthwhile takes effort. It takes more effort to endure a life of unrealized potential than to work toward success. Things may not work out as quickly as you would like. So what? Time goes by anyway. What difference does it make how long it takes to reach your goal? If it is what you want, get started, keep going and don't stop! Act now so that tomorrow you don't regret what you didn't do today."

Whatever your goal -- whether it is to lose weight, get in shape, change careers or anything else -- stop dreaming about it. Stop wishing for it. Figure out exactly what you want, determine what you need to do to reach it, then go after it and don’t quit until you achieve it.

Jennifer Wagner is a Perrysburg High School graduate and current Perrysburg resident, who has an interest in health, nutrition, fitness and exercise-related topics after losing more than 120 lbs. through Weight Watchers and exercise.