by Janice Heath

Created on: January 07, 2009

Having set some inspiring life goals for yourself you now need to consider the ways in which you can make them happen. There is always more than one pathway to your destination. Expanding your imagination to include avenues you may not have previously thought of can help you achieve your goals more quickly and with less effort.

Let's say you have set three goals, one around health and fitness, one around expanding your social circle and one about paying off your credit card. Considering each one in turn, brainstorm possible steps you could take to reach your goal imagining there are no limitations on what you could do. Keep a note of all your ideas and take action on those that are most appealing. Use other people's imagination as well, if you become aware of someone who has achieved the goal you are aiming for, find out what methods they used to succeed. Set out below are some examples to illustrate possible starting points.

Health and Fitness

The first thing most people think of is joining a gym. This is a perfectly good idea if you have the money to do so and exercising in this environment appeals to you. If however you don't have a lot of cash and the thought of exercising up close with a lot of fit people is less than attractive, you can put your imagination to work to consider other avenues. Could you start a walking group in your area or join an existing one? Is there a sport that you've always wanted to try but never got around to starting? Would you consider a job that involved more physical activity than your current one?

Social Life

Initially you may like to think about the kind of friends you would like to acquire. Are there people you know already through work and other activities that you would like to get to know better? Do you have a particular interest that you could share with others? Would some time spent volunteering for charitable organisations broaden your network?

Pay Off the Credit Card

While getting a second job is one possibility, give some thought to some of the unusual ways of generating extra cash to help reduce the debt. Talk to your family and friends and find out any additional ways they may know of making extra money. The internet is a great source of information how to find extra income is one of the most popular subjects in many forums. Attending market research focus groups for cash is another possibility. Mystery shopping is a fun and rewarding way of earning extra income, however it is wise to make sure you work with reputable organisations that do not demand joining fees.

Once you open your mind to alternative solutions to those you have used in the past, you will be amazed at how many options appear before you. Not only will you be spoiled for choice, working on one goal inevitably opens up avenues which can bring benefits in other areas. When you bring imagination to the achievement of your goals your world moves to a new level in unexpected ways.

Learn more about this author, Janice Heath.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.