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We all want something and sometimes we all have a little bit of trouble getting it. There are steps you can take and things you can do to help you get what you want and achieve your goals.

Everything we want is different and the techniques to getting it can vary. Wanting a cup of coffee verses a relationship are two completely different things, however the idea behind getting them is the same.

These 7 steps will help you get what you want more often.

1. Know what you want
The very first thing and possibly the most important thing you have to do is know what it is you want. If you don’t know what it is you want, how are you going to get it?

Figuring out what you want can be a challenge sometimes. There are activities like vision boards or even just making a list can help. Here is a quiz, “Quiz: What Do You Really Want Out of Life?” and an article, “How To Figure Out What You Really Want Out of Life”, that can help you as well.

Once you know what you want, you’re able to get a clear picture in your head and you’re more likely to get it. Picture the future you want in your mind and feel how it would feel to have those things. The more clear you are the more likely you to actually get what you want.

For example: If you want some coffee and go to Starbucks and order a coffee, you’re going to get plain black coffee. If that’s what you want great, but there are macchiatos, latte’s, frappuccinos, flavorings, teas, food and so much more.

If you go into life and say, “I want a good life” that’s like going into Starbucks and saying “I want a cup of coffee.” Your going to get some good coffee, and you might even have a little room for cream and sugar, but why do that when you could order a Venti Caramel Frappuccino with soy milk and extra whip cream, for just a few extra dollars? Why settle for a good life when you could have a great one with just a little extra effort.

2. Make a plan
When you have a plan to achieve your goals, you are more likely to stick with it and actually achieve them. A plan will give a road map on what to do and where to go. If something doesn’t go right you can always just take a step back or make a change and still be on track with your goal. If you just jump in there without a plan you might not be expecting all the challenges on your path and your more likely to fail and end up right back where you started.

Making a plan also helps you to see how achievable your goals are. Some goals are really easy to achieve, while others are much bigger. Some goals may just seem really big but then when you break it down you realize that they are easily achievable.

Let’s say you want to save $10,000. That can seem like a lot of money, especially if you’re not making much or it all goes to bills. If you break it down into something achievable like, plan to save $100 each week from your paycheck so in two years you will have saved $10,000. That sounds way more achievable and actually doable.

Take a moment to think of a few different ways that you could get what you want and achieve your goal. Visualize it in your mind. Think through multiple scenarios that could be a possibility. What feels the best? What seems to be the way that you really like and is the most beneficial?

Once you’ve thought it through write it down. Writing it down helps you to remember and holds you accountable as well. You can be as detailed or creative as you want, whatever feels best for you. Just make sure you have a clear plan that feels like a good plan that could get you where you want to go.

3. Prepare yourself
Take some time to prepare yourself so that when an opportunity comes up you can take it. You need to be ready when the time comes because if you aren’t you might miss out on what you’ve been wanting.

Just think of how much it would suck if you really wanted to go to Italy you’re whole life and your friend wins tickets to go and invites you, but you don’t have your passport. There’s a good chance your going to miss out on a free trip since you weren’t prepared.

If you want a promotion at work start learning the job from the person who is currently in that job. That way, when the time comes for you to get promoted, you’ll be ahead of the game since you already have some skills.

If you want to have a baby, start reading articles on parenting, offer to babysit for your friends who have kids to see how it really it and make sure your significant other is on board.

Do whatever you can to start getting ready for what you want in your future. Even a small step can make a difference. Many skills require regular practice so it wouldn’t hurt to get started.

Before you know it you’ll no longer be preparing, you’ll be doing.

4. Seek it out
You can’t just sit around your house all day and expect all your goals to just happen. Things don’t just come to you, you have to go out and get them!

If you want coffee it’s not just going to make itself or go buy itself, you gotta make some effort.

If you’re looking for a job you have to put in applications and send out resumes in order for employers to know that you’re even interested. How else would they know that you want a job?

If you want a relationship, you need to make a little effort by going on dates and trying to meet new people. Sure you could just randomly meet someone in your day to day life, but you will greatly increase your chances if you make some effort.

Seeking out what you want makes a huge difference sometimes or even all the difference. Even in today’s world where we can get almost anything delivered to us, you still have to make that initial effort and order what you want. You have to go to the website and search for what you want delivered. You have to seek it out.

5. Take action
When an opportunity comes up take it. You only get so many opportunities for certain things. You only have so long to apologize to someone before they feel it’s too late and they no longer care about it. You might get asked out by that okay looking but really sweet co-worker a few times, but one day he’s going to stop asking and you might be disappointed.

Recognize when you have an opportunity and take it. Every day is a new opportunity for something. You wake up and make thousands of choices which all make your day and life turn out a certain way. What decisions you make and actions you take all have an effect on your life.

Make some effort to go out and get what you want. Tell yourself that you’re going to do what needs to be done in order for you to reach your goal. Keep trying new things until you find something that works.

Don’t wait too long to take action or you might miss out on something you want. It might feel like you have all the time in the world, but you really don’t. Every moment is a new opportunity, a new chance for a new beginning if you want. Every moment wasted though is a lost opportunity.

How many books could you have written instead of watching reruns?

What pant size would you be if you had gone to the gym instead of making excuses to stay home?

How much money would you have saved now if you had invested in your 401k at age 22?

Take action now so you don’t miss out on opportunities that will help you reach your goals.

6. Revise when necessary
Sometimes our plans don’t work out. It happens. Things happen. Sometimes you have it all worked out and things are going perfectly and then BAM, something changes everything. It could be a positive change or a negative one. Pregnancy, promotion, death of loved one, all of these things will significantly change your plans.

Don’t give up on your goals because of a life change, just change your plan. There are multiple ways to get what you want. The path you take may vary but the goal stays the same.

If something happens to throw you off your plan, just take a moment to revise it. How can you still achieve your goal with this change? Sometimes it might take longer to reach your goal or maybe it means doing it in a different city or a completely different way. Revise your plan when needed but don’t revise your goals.

7. Don’t give up
Things are going to get tough. You might think that you’ll never achieve your goal. It might feel like you’ve tried everything but nothing is working. But you know what? Never give up. Many of of the greats tried multiple times and failed multiple times before achieving their goals. If they had given up you would have no idea who they were.

Just think, you might be closer to your goal than you think and if you give up now you’ll never achieve it. Who knows, you might get a message from the man you’ll marry tomorrow. You might get a promotion next month when your boss decides to quit. Anything is possible and we can’t tell what the future holds and what is going to happen. Don’t give up until you get it.

It’s like that video game level you keep playing and you get soooooo close but you just barely miss it each time. You want to give up, but, if you keep playing and playing, each time you learn a little more about the level. You learn what doesn’t work and what does. You might get really frustrated and the game might not be any fun anymore. You might even stop playing for a while and play a different game but make sure to come back because eventually you’ll get it. If you keep trying and don’t give up you’ll get it eventually.

And once you get it, oh man is it a good feeling. You feel so accomplished. You feel grateful. You appreciate it more. You’re a little wiser because of all the things you learned while trying to accomplish your goal. And the best part is, you’ll be glad you never gave up because it will all be worth it in the end.