9 Steps To Reach Your Goal

And you know what? His plan worked. A woman named Rebekah offered Eliezer a drink of water and then she offered to water his camels also.

As you make plans to overcome your barriers and achieve your goals, I want you to ask yourself two questions.

1. How do I intend to get there once I know what my goal is?

2. How long will it take?

The second question will determine your schedule, your deadlines, and your timetable. This will help you think through a course of action.

Now you may be thinking, this is a lot of work. It’s going to take time." You’re right, it will take time. That’s why 95 percent of Americans have no written goals.

A recent Harvard study showed that only 5 percent of Americans have written goals and many of them are among the highest earning people in the nation. That’s because successful people are willing to make sacrifices and put in the time of preparation that unsuccessful people aren’t willing to do.

You can either drift through life or you can be directed through life by taking the time to think through where God wants you to be. Is your future worth the effort? Yes, absolutely!

Step # 7 -- Be patient and persistent

"These things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will sure come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!"

Habakkuk 2:3 (LB)

Nothing great is ever accomplished without persistence and patience because, in order to be successful, your dreams must translate into work. The people who succeed in life are the people who are willing to do what they don’t feel like doing. They are not mastered by their moods, they are mastered by the Master, and they establish their goals and plans according to God’s will.

Eliezer was a great example of patience and persistence. We saw his patience in choosing the right woman by making a detailed plan. He didn’t make a snap judgment. He wasn’t impulsive.

The Bible says in Genesis 24:21 (NIV), "Without saying a word, [he] watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey succeed."

Later, after he got invited to Rebekah’s house for dinner, the Bible says, "The food was set before him (Eliezer), but he said, ’I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say’" (Genesis 24:33 NIV). Now personally, I would have eaten first. But this guy was focused.

What’s the point? If you are going to really reach your goals in life, sometimes you have to delay gratification. You have to do the tough thing instead of the fun thing, the right thing instead of the pleasurable thing.

And the reason that’s so hard is because most of us don’t want to delay gratification. That’s why we’re in debt. Our attitude is, "I want it and I want it now." And if we can’t afford it, then we put it on our credit cards.

It’s important for you to learn this lesson because any goal that’s worth achieving is going to have obstacles in the way. You need to have a long-term view so, when difficulties come, you can persevere knowing that you are going to get past it.