I work with many young people. Of the young people I have worked with I am saddened by how few of them are unable to dream. So few young people have a plan for the future. Perhaps this is due to circumstance, perhaps it is due to the state of our economy, and perhaps it is due to society. Despite the reason, not all hope is lost. People young and old can continue to dream.

Success is defined as the accomplishment of an aim or a purpose. Notice this definition does not include “lots of money”, “fame”, or “being the boss”. Perhaps this is why dreams die. Perhaps people think of success as something that is too difficult to achieve. You have success when you reach a goal, any goal!

Success is doing what you want! Here is how you can set goals, reach goals, and have success!
What do you want? It starts as simple as asking yourself that question. The answer to this question is unlimited. Do not be afraid to answer with something that seems to big, too complex, too unrealistic, or too difficult. If you want a unicorn then you want a unicorn!
Write this goal down. Put this goal in a place where you will see it every single day. This will help you remember your goal and will help you stay focused.
Which goals are realistic and which are possible? Here is where you evaluate your goals. There are goals that may not be possible. For example I, as a female, cannot play in the NFL.
Do not abandon your goals, for when there is a will there is a way! Here is where you will evaluate your motivation to work for this goal. Yep, work. Obtaining success takes work. So you need to ask yourself what are you willing to spend, sacrifice, and do to achieve this goal. Use a scale of 1-10 to rate your motivation to work toward the goal. 1 is no motivation and 10 is 110% motivated. This step is necessary to evaluate if the goal is worth keeping or if you need to move onto other goals.
Still motivated? Great! In order to get to the Big goal it is necessary to set up little goals. Rome was not built in a day. Make a “to-do” list of things you need to do, collect, practice, or improve to reach your goal. Then prioritize this list from easiest to hardest.
Once you have your “to-do” list you can start checking things off your list. Start with the top and work your way down.
Re-evaluate your goals from time-to-time. Perhaps your day requires you to move stuff around re-prioritize your list. Perhaps things will come up and you will need to change your short term goals. This is OK. Things happen. Life happens. Each step you take toward your goal is a step in the right direction.

The bottom line is this. You can! You are the variable to your future, your goals, and your dreams. Do not be afraid to dream. You can do all things! Start today to do the things you can to get you there!