One of my personal goals in life is to play guitar with Eric Clapton by September 14, 2016. Even if it’s just for 15 minutes.

Here’s why I chose this as a goal for myself:

1. September 14^th was the day I put this goal into action
2. Guitar is one of my passions
3. Eric Clapton is one of my favorite musicians
4. It’s exciting and it takes me out of my comfort zone

I could have made my goal learn how to play “Stairway to Heaven” but I didn’t, because; (1) it’s not exciting enough for me, and; (2) it doesn’t take me out of my comfort zone as a musician. And that’s where we want to be all the time.

Why is this important?

When we choose goals that really excite us and take us out of our comfort zone, we set ourselves up for new opportunities – new lessons to be learned, new relationships to be made, new ideas to cultivate and ponder, and a new sense of direction we didn’t have before.

Here are 5 steps you can take that will take you out of your comfort zone, and help you put into action the necessary steps that will produce the results you want from your life:

1. Make a list of things that excite you the most. For example, playing guitar with Eric Clapton is a very exciting goal for me. More exciting than learning how to play “Stairway to Heaven”. You need to find out what excites YOU. Maybe you want that director position that just opened up in your company or you want to make $10,000,000.00 dollars.
2. Make them your goals. You might even find that some of your new goals fit into different areas of your life such as health, fitness, finance, relationships, work, etc. If so, great, because now you’ll live a more balanced life as a result of this exercise.
3. Write down all the steps you must complete to accomplish your goals. For example, I need to learn how to read music, play faster, build accuracy, play live, continue taking lessons, practice, etc.
4. Give all your goals specific completion dates. I gave myself 5 years (September 14, 2016 to be exact) to prepare for my moment with Eric Clapton.
5. Read your goal list daily, and as you read your list, picture what your life looks like when you achieve your goals. I’m on stage with Eric Clapton, sitting in a chair next to him with my guitar, the stage is dimly lit, etc.

Keep your goals with you – on your computer, your phone, tablet or day planner. Read your goals over and over to yourself at least two to three times a day until they become second nature. Eventually, your goals will become part of you, and the actions you take will be those that support your mission.

It’s important for us to be in touch with the things we’re most passionate about in our lives. They shouldn’t be ignored. Because the things we are most passionate about, the things that really excite us also define us. When we make a decision to take action on the things that excite us the most, they give us a greater sense of purpose, meaning and fulfillment. When I listen to Eric Clapton’s music or pick up my guitar to play, it has a much deeper meaning for me than ever before.

Believe in yourself and create the life you want by doing what excites you the most. I wish you all the success in the world.