How to Achieve Success Today: 3 Steps to Crush Your Goals

You know, this morning when the alarm clock went off, I really felt like hitting that snooze button. Soon after I got up, I really didn’t feel like going to the gym. Later, I didn’t feel like sitting down at the computer to analyze another potential real estate deal.

I didn’t feel like picking up the phone to make an important call that I was dreading. Honestly, I didn’t really feel like making this video either.

Today, I felt like lying in bed, watching reruns of The Office, and eating pancakes. My wife makes, literally, the world’s best pancakes.

But you know what? It’s a good thing I don’t live my life by feelings.

I live my life by intention.

I didn’t snooze the alarm. I went to the gym. I analyzed that deal. I made that phone call. I’m making this video.

The truth is much of the time, I don’t feel like doing what I need to do. But let me share with you one secret of success that I’ve found true: If you want to have a better life, it doesn’t happen naturally.

The late great Jim Rohn once said, “Life doesn’t get better by chance. It gets better by change.”

And he’s not talking about things changing around you. He’s talking about YOU changing. Because things usually don’t naturally just “come about.” Good things usually happen because you’ve done the right actions—day in and day out—for a long time to get there.

A year ago, I weighed 40 pounds more than I do today. A month ago, I didn’t have any real estate deals under contract. But today I have over $5 million under contract.

I’m not saying this to brag, because the simple truth is, I didn’t do it. My simple, consistent daily actions that I performed whether I felt like it or not—that’s what did it.

So, if you want to achieve new levels of success in your life, do this really simple but hard thing: Stop living your life by feeling, and start living your life by intention.

What does that mean? Let me break it down into three actionable steps.

3 Actionable Steps to Begin Living Your Life With Intention

Define what it is you want.

Figure out what you really want, and determine a date that you plan to get it. Don’t pick something because someone else thinks it’s right for you. Pick something that gets you fired up, that makes you feel alive, that feels like a challenge worthy of your pursuit.

Write down the steps you need to take consistently to get the result you want.

If you’re trying to buy a real estate deal, like myself, you’re going to have to get leads, analyze them, make offers, and talk with lenders. Those are action steps.

If you want to improve your marriage, maybe you need to read a marriage book, attend a marriage workshop with your spouse, schedule regular date nights. Or maybe you want to pay off $10,000 in debt. Your steps might include canceling your Netflix subscription and driving for Uber on the weekends.

You see, it’s those consistent actions, over time, that produce the results.

Do those things, when you said you’re going to do them.

And do this consistently—whether you feel like it or not. Live your life by intention, not feelings.

The incredible life that you want—that you deserve—is waiting for you to claim it. Alright, now go out and live the rest of the day with intention.

What is your intention? What are your action steps?

Share below to improve your accountability!

Note By BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.