There are times that you might think something isn’t possible because you don’t believe it or others have told you that it’s not possible or right for you.  These are the moments that individuals must ask themselves: Is this really the right thing for me?  Others can provide guidance; however, you’re the only one who can answer this question for you.

A few points to consider:

* An individual won’t move forward toward a goal until there is a readiness to TEE-OFF; that is, an individual is ready to use their Time, Energy, and Effort On Fulfilling Fantasies — as success isn’t based on others’ considerations, but instead on your considerations and actions.

* An ability to reach a goal, to persevere, or to achieve success begins with having and pursuing a dream.

* Develop a vision that will help to guide you toward the realization of your dream.

* Associate with individuals who have higher aspirations and are ‘actively’ working toward or have achieved success.  This can help you to maintain a positive focus toward a goal.

* Maximize your belief by taking action to achieve your goals, which is an important factor to achieve success — as it’s almost impossible to accomplish anything by only talking about it.

* Understand that you’re capable of doing much more than you might think, which will sometimes require a change of environment to fully connect with an experience.

* You’re responsible and accountable for the outcome and consequences of your actions; be proactive and take ownership of your journey.

* Take a chance to do something you want because that choice can lead to unexpected journeys and outcomes — for yourself and others.

Guidance to achieve success:

* You have to believe in yourself — even if nobody else does.  It doesn’t matter if things are bad at a moment; you must continue to believe that it’s possible.  Don’t allow yourself an easy way out!

* You have the power of choice.  If you get distracted, frustrated, or start to have doubts, use a pep talk to convince yourself that whatever you’re working toward is still possible to achieve.  This motivational dialogue will help to drive your ability to continue to make progress toward a goal.

* You have to be resilient because challenges are a part of life.  An ability to move forward in spite of past challenges is the difference between those who are successful and those who could be.

* You have to be persistent, as this will demonstrate commitment to achieve your goal(s).

Life might not happen as you want, but there’s always value in the pursuit of a positive journey.  This is a major reason that an ability to achieve success is directly related to your attitude, beliefs, desires, choices, resilience, and perseverance.  Therefore, will you use all of these tools to help create the best possible you?

No matter the length of your journey … always be your best!

This article originally appeared in “Simple Steps Real Change” magazine.