Have you ever spent a day or part of a day doing something or many things of no real consequence only to ask yourself at the end of the day: What DID I actually achieve today?

Then another similar day happens where once again you come to the end of the day with nothing really achieved. Your list of things to do is still in tact with nothing crossed off.

Your day flew by and you have nothing to show for it. Then as this cycle repeats itself in your life (and it will, if you don’t stop it), you find that your days flew by and there is still nothing to show for them.

Anne Dillard is quoted as saying:

They may have been ACTIVE days, but the real question is: Were they productive days? And the answer is? No.

Here’s a shocking reality! Those days have gone forever!

Unless ….

Unless what? Unless you take this experience, learn from it and make a decision to change.

Of course you don’t stop with the decision. The next step is action!

Action Steps
You have contemplated the fact that days are becoming weeks and weeks months and you still have not achieved the things you dream about right?

Now take a clean sheet of paper, or a new page in your journal and write down your life purpose, your why.

In what way do you really want to make a difference in this world?
This might be something like building a heritage for your children, giving a child in a third world country the opportunity to study and fulfill his or her dreams in life or perhaps starting a foundation to motivate children and/or teens to go after their dreams. You know what you have in your heart.

Now write a list of the things that you dream about achieving in the next year or two.

Your answer will startle you and I trust inspire you to ACTION.

What action?

• Create some goals based on what you have written down.
• Look at your goals and write down some things that you could do to start moving towards them.
• Create an action plan from the things you have already written down.
• Set yourself a deadline for each step of your action plan. Be realistic.
• Start following your plan today and continue to take at least one step every day.

Never again will you end a day with the question: What did I actually achieve today?

Instead you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you took ONE STEP towards achieving your dreams and your life purpose.

Consider the words of Henry Ford

“It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste.”

The question is: Which group are you are part of?
If you take action on these steps today, you have joined the group of people who are getting ahead – and I am confident that this is YOU.