Coming from an immigrant family, I grew up in search of the American Dream. I had many dreams for myself (including a beautiful smile!) and have been blessed and fortunate enough to bring many of them to life.

I think it is human nature to have goals and dreams. And while all of us manage to achieve some of our goals, there are other goals that somehow escape us. Time seems to go by rather quickly and before you know it, you didn’t achieve what you set out to. This can lead to disappointment and even frustration.

However, there are some (really easy) things you can do to increase your chances of achieving your goals and dreams. And since September is Self-Improvement Month, I’ve listed 3 things that will make all the difference:

1. Have Clarity. You cannot achieve your goal if you are fuzzy or hazy about what it is. Write down your goals in as much detail as possible so you don’t end up chasing after something that is not exactly what you wanted. Sometimes it’s hard to get clarity if you are tired or distracted. Before writing down your clear goals, set some time to be alone and make sure you are rested.
2. Track your progress. How do you know if you’re getting closer to your goal if you don’t know where you are at with it? Tracking your progress helps you not only focus on your goal but also helps you make the necessary adjustments in your plan of action to get you closer to that goal. Tracking is so important, it should be scheduled to be done periodically. For example, you can review your goals on a quarterly basis.
3. Set a Deadline. A goal without a deadline is only a dream. Nothing wrong with dreaming, but if you want to make it happen, you need to set a target date or a deadline. How many of us say, “one day I’d love to be fluent in French?” That is very different from the person that says, “I will be fluent in French by December 2021”. The second person needs to get moving on that!

This month, take some time to check in with yourself and see if there is anything that you’ve been dreaming of doing but have not done yet. You will surprise yourself on how following these 3 easy steps will set you on the right track to making your goal a reality.