Career Moves: Take Charge of Your Life

Every day millions of people let their inner fears stop them from creating the life of their dreams. No one will deny that it is scary to step out of your comfort zone, but once you challenge your fear and take action, you can attain great things.

1. Dream Great Dreams

Imagine you could be, do, and have anything you want. How is what you want for your future different from your life today? Once you've identified your dream, you can take the steps to make it come true.

2. Make A Decision

In every decision we make, we exert a power to shape and control our own life. Unfortunately, instead of pursuing our own empowerment, we sometimes blame our choices on things that have nothing to do with us. Understand you have power over your personal choices. Notice how your life changes with every decision you make, no matter how small. Take responsibility for your decisions so you can shape your ultimate path.

3. Exercise Your Power To Choose

Simply dreaming great dreams will not change your life; rather, it is what you do with these dreams that is important. Sift your dreams, created in your right brain, through the logical sieve of your mind-your left brain. In order to achieve the dream, the left hemisphere has to believe that the dream is within the realm of possibility. Only then can the subconscious mind help us make the dream happen.

4. Form A Support Team

Enroll people in your dream who can help you attain it. Many people find it difficult the accept help. They think they should be able to do everything themselves or that they will feel obligated to someone for their assistance. Remember, no person is an island. No one has all the answers and there are many unique ways to pay someone back. Find support early in the process and your journey will be much more fun and rewarding!

5. Keep Score

Keep track of your progress and decide if where you are now is where you projected you would be. Learn from your successes and failures and determine what you need to work on to achieve your goals.

6. Establish A Baseline

The baseline is where you are now; it is your line of scrimmage. With all you have built, now it is time to move forward. If something interrupts your progress, you will need to evaluate what went wrong, make some adjustments, and start moving again.

7. Know Where The Goal Line Is

The goal line is your desired outcome. As you focus on the long-term goal, don't forget the short-term goals. Setting and attaining small goals helps give your self-confidence a boost and keeps you motivated to continue plugging toward your long-term goals.

8. Reward Yourself

Kudos from others are great, but it is also important to reward yourself. Commit to paper how you will reward yourself when you reach a certain goal and follow through. Take that exotic vacation you have dreamed about or buy something special to remind you of your success.

The thrill of the game of life is charting a course, facing challenges head on, and holding someone else's hand along the way. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Either way, when you focus on the big picture and refuse to let past mistakes keep you down, you create a future that is filled with possibility. So live to the fullest in the present moment and make the most of it to achieve your vision.

Jo Condrill is an acclaimed author, speaker and consultant. Jo's career took her from a part-time job in Texas to a supervisory position in the Pentagon in less than ten years, and she never wore a uniform. Jo charted her course and followed the steps she prescribes here. She is the author of "Take Charge of Your Life: Dare to Pursue Your Dreams," coauthor of "101 Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills Instantly," and "From Book Signing to Best Seller." Jo also led a 3,000 member district of Toastmasters to rank number one in the worldwide nonprofit organization. That is the only time such a feat was accomplished in a Washington, DC. District. Jo shares her unique experiences in seminars and speeches on leadership, team building, personal development, and success strategies. http://www.goalminds.com/primer.html