We’re already into 2021 … and not much has changed, right?

While the turning of a new year can represent new beginnings, life isn’t about the flip of a calendar.

Resolutions can fade quickly, and with them, any chance of turning what are really “wishes” into tangible results.

What CAN change and shift is your attitude and your knowledge base.

It’s never too early or too late to recommit and resolve to follow-through on the goals and objectives in your business and your life. 

And one of the best “formulas” I’ve found for doing that expands the goal setting and goal getting process into both a quest for your true vision with definite steps and benchmarks for actually getting there.

What is it?

Simply, Dream X Goal X Learn X Plan X Action

By starting with your ultimate dreams and vision, this “formula” allows you to turn those dreams into specific goals, while turning goals into detailed plans, and putting those plans into specific action, with definite results.

• DREAM. Everything starts with a dream or a vision … an ideal picture of how you want your business or your life to look and be. 

The first part of actually putting that into reality is writing it down, which is the very first step in making your dream and vision real. 

So do some dreaming … but start to put those dreams down on paper. And then give yourself some time to accomplish them. Remember, most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year, but underestimate what they can accomplish in 10 years.

And in my experience, most great wealth in business is built over a period of seven to 10 years.

• GOAL. Next, simply start to turn those dreams into specific goals. 

By that, I mean turn start to put some timelines and deadlines on your dreams and vision, and start to understand “why” exactly you want what you want.

I’ve discovered having one or several powerful “reasons why” you want a specific goal or dream goes miles in keeping you going and motivated when enthusiasm fades, or obstacles start hindering your progress.

Maybe your “why” is centered around your family, or a deeply personal need to succeed because others have scoffed at you or your efforts in the past. 

Whatever the “reason” … key on it and use it to fuel your efforts and drive you to your vision and dream. 

However, make sure you put a timeline and deadline on your goals and objectives, or they tend to be nothing more than “wishes.”

Start first with a 10 year time horizon, and work backwards from there … say in a 5 year, 3 year, 1 year and six month horizon.

Also use the SMART approach for outlining your goals, meaning your goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound.

Set benchmarks and be sure you can measure your progress, because only what can be measured can be managed … and changed for the better. 

You’ll be amazed what will start to happen to your focus and determination when you can actually articulate what you want to accomplish, know why you want to accomplish it and give yourself time to get there.

• LEARN. “Learn before you earn.”

This is an easy one to understand. You don’t know what you don’t know. You have to grow into your goals. Read books, attend seminars. Get the knowledge in order to do the next steps.

Without new knowledge, new skills and new abilities, there is no achievement in new things.

• PLAN. When you start to see your Dreams and Goals outlined this way, you can now start to Plan on how you’re going to get your objectives.

Your plan should be like your roadmap, or a series of steps you can take to lead you closer to your goals.

Remember, though, that your plans should be flexible enough to allow for evaluation, re-evaluation and correction if what you are doing isn’t working.

If you’re like most, you’ll soon discover your initial plans will need correction, but that’s OK. 

Few people actually know “how” they are going to get to their ultimate destination, but they soon discover as they start moving forward new opportunities and “ways” to get there.

• ACTION. Here’s where the proverbial “rubber meets the road” … and nothing will happen unless you start taking action towards your own success.

I know there’s a lot out there about visualization and “secret” ways of attracting everything you want in life, but I’ve yet to run into anyone who has been able to consistently sit on some mountain top and “Ohm” their way to success.

At this stage, with your dreams defined, your goals written and your plans planned, all you really have to do is ACT … then see what works, change what doesn’t and start to see if the results you are getting are in line with what you really want.

There’s an old analogy that a rocket is off course to its destination more than 99% of the time, but it is through adjustment and correction that leads it to its ultimate destination.

The late, great Jim Rohn also used the example that if a ship sailed off course just one degree over time without correction, it would usually run into the rocks.

So take action constantly, continuously and correctively when needed, because in most cases, some action is better than no action at all.

Will every action be perfect?

Probably not. 

But that’s not the point. 

Mistakes of omission are in most cases more deadly to your success as those mistakes you actually do make. 

So don’t let current events or the attitude of “this year is looking a lot like last year” set in.

Today you can choose to making 2021 the best yet.

Sit down with the Dream, Goal, Learn, Plan and Action “formula” and start to be the architect of the life you want … and the all aspirations you desire.

You might even surprise yourself in that some of those long-held goals and aspirations can be had in a fraction of the time you once thought.

You might also discover some of the reasons you thought you wanted some of your goals weren’t what you figured initially, or have evolved into something even more meaningful and significant.

Whatever you finally decide for yourself, pursue with all of your effort and heart.

That way, you can look back on this year come next January and be more than pleased – and surprised – by your progress and results.