You need to figure out your "X". What is it that, when you look back on your life, will make you think "I'm so glad I did that". It might be family stuff, it might be travel, it might be work. It's up to you. And it can be hard to find. But you'll know it when you find it.

Then you need to ask yourself - if you genuinely really want X, how long would it take you to achieve it?

Can you do it in 10 years? Can you do it in 5 years? What would it look like to achieve X? Would you need to change your lifestyle? Move to another country? Can you do it as a side-hustle? Or on weekends? What will your family think as you make this your focus?

Because now, you've got a destination and a time-frame. Next step is to figure out a roadmap.

Let's say you think you can do it in 5 years. 5 years is a long time.

Remember it. Write it down and stick it on your wall, so you can see it every day.

(I'm writing this in January 2019 - other months and years are available)

"In 2024, I will have achieved X".
Now what is the ONE THING you would need to have achieved by January 2022 to have made real progress towards X?
And then, what is the ONE THING you would need to have achieved by January 2020 to have made real progress towards your 3 year target?
And what is the ONE THING you can achieve by April 2019 to have made real progress towards January's target?

Write all of these down on that same bit of paper.

You now have a roadmap for the next 5 years.

But that's useless without action.

Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash

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