You have lots of dreams.  There are many goals you would like to accomplish.  Your wish list probably contains many items.  It's a little overwhelming.  Your thoughts jump from one desire to another. 

Where do you start?  How do you decide what you should do first?  There are a number of strategies you can utilize.  The right approach for you depends on how much experience you have bringing your dreams to reality. 

Perhaps you are adept in realizing your goals.  You have been through the process before.  You understand that you start with a goal, formulate a plan, and then put the plan into action.  You recognize that the key to being successful is taking one step at a time, never giving up until your destination is reached.

If you are seasoned in bringing goals to reality, you can start with whatever dream is most important to you.  Regardless of how out of reach your dream initially seems, you have confidence in your ability to do whatever is necessary to be successful. 

To those with less experience in this area, your accomplishments may appear to fly in the face of what you should be able to do.  People who don't understand how this process works, tend to have a negative attitude.  They look at life as an endless struggle with little opportunity.  Success is something that happens to others who have some advantage that they themselves lack.

If you have little or no experience making your dreams come true, you need to build confidence while gaining experience as you realize successes.  This can only be done with practice.  When undertaking any new endeavor, the best approach is to begin with simple tasks.

Start with a relatively easy goal.  It's OK to use one with a low priority.  A goal is low priority when it won't make a big difference in your life when it is accomplished or if it's accomplished at all.  By beginning in this fashion, you won't be under any undue pressure to succeed.  The more relaxed you are mentally, the greater the chances of you realizing your goal.

Your first task should be as uncomplicated as possible.  For example, you could organize or paint a room.  You might make a phone call you have been avoiding.  Accomplishing any task you have been avoiding is a great place to start. 

Maybe you would like to lose weight but are confused by all of the options.  Up to this point you have done nothing.  Make it really simple; at your next meal eat a little less than you normally would have.  By accomplishing your first goal, you will be successful.  It doesn't matter what you did, but rather that you did it.

Once you have your first success, you are ready for the next one.  Take another simple goal.  It's more important to accumulate successes than to rush to more challenging objectives.  Should something not work as planned, don't give up.  Either try again or move to another task.  As you become more adept at reaching goals, you can begin tackling more ambitious ones. 

Regardless of whether a goal is easy or difficult, the process for its attainment is exactly the same.
Identify your goal, create a plan to reach it, and then take action.  Those who fail have given up.  People who succeed keep going until their destination is reached.  It's that basic.

So start with one goal.  Avoid trying to do many things at once.  Your efforts will be diluted, reducing your chances of success.  As each goal is reached, you are ready for more challenging ones.

NOW AVAILABLE:  "Dare to Live Without Limits," the book.  Visit www.BryanGolden.com or your bookstore. Bryan is a management consultant, motivational speaker, author, and adjunct professor. E-mail Bryan at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or write him c/o this paper.  2008 Bryan Golden

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