by Linda-Ann Stewart

What is your deepest dream? It could be to change a habit, develop a skill or achieve success in your life or business. It’s a dream that you have control over and can accomplish. The next question is: Are you taking action on it and headed in that direction? If not, then there’s something that’s holding you back. If you are taking action, but keep finding yourself having to start over, then there’s an element missing that’s creating the loop.

Success rarely happens by accident. It happens by design. Even when chance seems to be involved, there was thought and energy directed towards a dream first. As Seneca, the Roman philosopher, said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” When you prepare for success, you know a break when it appears. If you aren’t ready, then you won’t be available when the possibility shows up, and you might not even recognize it.

Success is a lot like a garden. It takes thought, attention and consideration. For instance, you could just throw some seeds onto the ground, forget about them and hope for the best. But for your seeds to sprout and grow, you have to make sure they have the best conditions in which to thrive.

When you have a deep desire to grow and sent out roots in your life, there are three main areas you have to address to achieve your dream. Each of these is vital to the success of your venture. If any of them is missing or hasn’t been created, then you’re unlikely to succeed and your seeds will never have an opportunity to grow.

Vision

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.” Lewis Carroll

You may have a dream, but no clear vision of making it real. Not only do you have to know exactly what you want, it must be personal for you and compelling enough inspire you to fulfill this dream. If you have no vision of where you’re going, you’ll just float, at the mercy of outer circumstances. The Law of Attraction needs a clear vision to be able to use as a mold and pattern. Without a vision, it will simply use the average of whatever you’re focusing on. To fulfill your dream, decide on exactly what you want to plant, and then plant the seeds for that bush, flower or desire

Mindset

“The outer conditions of a person’s life will always be found to reflect their inner beliefs.” James Allen

This isn’t just about positive thinking, though that’s vital to success. Mindset also includes your beliefs and attitudes about your vision and yourself. Are you afraid you won’t achieve it or maybe that you will? In addition, you need to have incentive and motivation to stay the course. How badly do you want your dream? The Law of Attraction needs you to keep your attention on your vision, so you water it, fertilize it with positive thoughts and weed out any negative beliefs about it.

Plan

“Do not confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress.” Alfred A. Montapert

Without a plan, you could run around in circles, getting no closer to your dream. You could mistake marking items off a to-do list for moving in a specific direction. Also, who or what are making the decisions for you? For example, are other people, crises or what’s immediate determining your priorities? If this is the case, you simply react to events, without making deliberate choices or thinking things through. Are the steps you want to take catered to your needs? If not, then you will avoid taking them. The Law of Attraction needs you to put your energy into what’s important to you. Your actions make sure you schedule watering and weeding, so that your seed has the best setting in which to grow.

If any of these hasn’t been attended to, then sheer chance may result in a few seeds sprouting. But you won’t be able to depend on whether they will or not. With no vision, you might plant dandelion seeds when you want tomatoes. Lacking the right mindset means you let weeds crowd out the plants you want. If you don’t plan to water regularly, then your seeds won’t have the necessary moisture to flourish.

When you address each of these areas, and follow through on your plan, then you’re empowering your vision. You’re giving it the mental, emotional and physical energy it needs to germinate, sprout and grow. By staying on track and paying attention to what you’re doing, you’re taking charge and giving your dream the fertilizer it needs to bloom.

Affirmation:
I now establish what I really want in my life. And I realize that I deserve to have my dream. The Universe wants for me what I want for myself. I decide to take the actions I need to begin moving in that direction. The Universe supports my endeavor and I attract whatever I need to fulfill my desire.

Watch my Monthly Mindset Coaching Tip video If You’re Stuck, Check These 3 Elements that accompanies this article.