It's that time of year again where many pause and reflect on the previous year and consider what, if any, changes are needed and appropriate for the new one.

There are five important, yet simple steps to follow, which I believe are necessary for seemingly impossible goals to be achieved.

Step Number One

Spend some quiet time and write down exactly what the change or changes will be and why you want them, this is the first crucial step towards achieving goals. At this stage, write only what it is you'd like to achieve and why. The 'how's' and 'when's' can come later.

Step Number Two

This step too is very important, and it has everything to do with you accessing a state of inner peace. The peace I write about has little to do with listening to relaxation music, essential oils in a burner or harps playing (though they can help).

Achievement of your goal requires having peace through a quiet mind and inner calmness regardless of the chaos around you and how long this chaos reigns.

When you have this (peace) you'll have greater clarity, your creative self will make itself known, you'll gain foresight into how you will achieve your outcome, focus, and negativity will have minimal impact.

There are individuals who know how to step into the state of peace; however others may require some gentle guidance.

If you find achieving a peace state challenging, there are 5 options listed below that may help you:

1. Find yourself some quiet time when you know you'll be undisturbed and paint, draw, write, or map out all you can about your intended outcome.

2. Embark on a meditation program that will teach you a selection of meditation techniques.

3. If you're willing to be coached, find yourself a reputable personal coach who can help you work through limiting beliefs and help you discover what your values are.

4. Seek out a mentor. This would be someone whom you admire, is inspiring, motivating, and successful, be available to you and who is a fundamentally positive, peaceful and calm individual.

5. Embark on a spiritual development program.

The world of alternatives is huge. To find something you'll be happy with may take a little research, start by asking friends and family members to point you in the right direction. If they're just not into that kind of thing it may be wise to broaden your search through the internet, books, and/or other members of your community.

Step Number Three

This important step is about gifting yourself with a fresh outlook on life.

Looking at things in a totally different way and from a new angle will give you a more global perspective revealing greater possibilities and may be achieved by:

1. Asking parts of you what is important to you, each time you receive an answer continue by asking why that answer is important. When you can go no further ask yourself "how can you change this issue?" This may sound a bit strange, however from experience this works.

2. Transformational Coaching.

3. Understanding your motivation or lack of motivation. Once you've gained an understanding of you, you're in a position to become proactive into making necessary changes toward achieving your goal.

4. Reading autobiographies of how successful people did it.

Step Number Four

By now you know exactly what you want; you can step into profound inner peace at will; have picked up great self-help and self-healing tools; eliminated limiting beliefs; and worked out your values. Now it's time to finally pinpoint exactly how you're going to go about achieving your goal.

There will be many ways on how you'll achieve your goal; however the time frame will vary greatly depending on what you need to acquire first. Maybe you need:

1. To acquire new skills such as sales, writing, technology, or marketing skills etc. for that new career you've always wanted to be part of.

2. To seriously start networking yourself and your product. Become known in your community.

3. To gather a team of like minded individuals that will motivate and inspire you into achieving your goal, whatever it is. Constant negative input can quickly extinguish dreams.

4. Start an investment portfolio for your future if you're after a secure financial future.

5. Read as much as possible on whatever your goal is, it will give you a fundamental understanding of what it's all about.

Step Number Five

This last but important step (they're all important) is the calculation of when your outcome will finally eventuate. If you've followed the previous steps adding Step Number Four into the equation, you'll be able to determine the time you can celebrate in a really, huge way of finally reaching the pot at the end of your rainbow!

1. Calculate the time it takes to complete your training courses or higher education.

2. Investment portfolio goals as discussed with your investment adviser.

3. Discuss with your business/personal development/transformational coach how many sessions and 'home-play' will be required of you for you to achieve your goal.

4. Factor in time it takes for people to get to know you if you're selling a product or you are the product. Speak with a marketing professional or someone 'in the know' first.

5. It's important to be realistic about timeframes. Sometimes our greatest plans will go awry and will take much longer than expected (much like newly discovered actors and singers who have been plugging their trade for many years before hitting the big time!)

Sometimes, incidents will happen and be out of our control no matter what we do. Like my computer taking with it all my electronic office equipment earlier in 2005 (one of the most frustrating experiences I've ever had). To keep going required perseverance, patience and flexibility - it would have been so easy to give up!

Anyone can achieve goals through inner peace, perseverance, patience, flexibility and sometimes viewing situations from an entirely different angle.

Michaela Scherr Transformational Coach

About the author:

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Michaela is a Transformational Coach, certified practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), writer, and Metaphysician who is totally committed to helping others create positive and action oriented changes to their lives.