Life consists in what a man is thinking of all day. Ralph Waldo Emerson

The difference between a goal and a dream is the written word. Gene Donohue

Youve been driving around looking at houses. Youve even stopped in on open houses during the holidays. Youve driven in different areas, but you dont know the neighborhoods or the schools. Of course, your dream is to have a home of your own. Thats a goal, but its not really a plan. Basically, youre off path.

Now that the holidays are here, and the New Year is just around the corner, its time to start thinking about moving forward. Think of your accomplishments this year, and the next steps you want to achieve. Start writing your goals and making plans to accomplish them.

What is the difference between a dream and a goal? Its the written word. However, we need to do more than scribble down some ideas on paper. Our goals need to be complete and focused. Herere some steps that will help you build a road toward your goals.

If its owning your own home or finding a new one, lets have a plan. Buying a home, is often a familys dream. However, while youre thinking about a home, lets not forget about the holiday season. Lets be grateful for the things we have.

This is a special time to think about special goals. Lets think about working toward a better tomorrow. Follow some of these easy steps when planning ahead.

1. Make sure the goal you are working for is something you really want, not just something that sounds good. When setting goals, its important to remember that your goals must be consistent with your values.

2. A goal cannot contradict any of your other goals. For example, you cant buy a $300,000 house if your income is only $50,000 a year. This is called non-integrated thinking and it will sabotage all of the hard work you put into your goals. Non-integrated thinking can also hamper your everyday thoughts as well. We should continually strive to eliminate contradictory ideas from our thinking.

3. Develop goals in the six areas of life: Family and Home; Financial and Career; Spiritual and Ethical; Physical and Health; Social and Cultural; and Mental and Educational. Setting goals in each area of life will ensure a more balanced life as you begin to change your everyday living.

4. Write down your goals in the positive instead of the negative. Work for what you want, not for what you want to leave behind. Part of the reason why we write down our goals is to create a set of instructions for our subconscious mind to carry out. Your subconscious mind is an efficient tool, use it. The more positive instructions you give your subconscious mind, the more positive results you will get. Thinking positively everyday will also help you in life, and obstacles you may encounter.

5. Write your goals down in complete detail. Instead of writing a new home, write a 2,800 square foot home in the country with four bedrooms and three baths. Once again you are giving the subconscious mind a detailed set on instructions to work on. The more information you give it, the clearer is the final outcome. The more precise the outcome, the more efficient is the subconscious mind. You can close your eyes and visualize your home. See yourself on the porch looking across the land. See yourself watching the kids play in the front yard. Can you see it? So can your subconscious mind.

6. Make sure your goal is high enough. Shoot for the stars and the moon. If you dont buy a house this year, keep trying. Dont give up.

7. Importantly, write down your goals. Writing down your goals creates a roadmap to your success. Although just the act of writing them down can set the process in motion, it is also extremely important to review your goals frequently. Remember, the more focused you are on your goals, the more likely you are to accomplish them. Sometimes, we have to revise a goal as circumstances and other goals change. If you have to change a goal, dont consider it a failure, consider it a victory as you realized something was different.

8. Now youve got written goals. Unless someone is helping you to achieve your goals, dont freely share your goals with others. The negative attitude from friends, neighbors and family can drag you down quickly. Its important that the goals in your head stay positive. Reviewing your goals daily is crucial part of your success and it must become routine. Visualize the completed goal, and see your new home. Start each morning with your goals, and repeat the process before you go to bed. This process will start both your subconscious and conscious mind on working toward your goals.

9. Check your goal(s). Every time you make a decision, ask yourself if it takes you closer to, or further away, from your goal(s). If the answer is yes, youve made the right decision. If it takes you further away, you know what to do. If you set your goals and write them down, you are on your way to achieving success in every aspect of your life.

Happy Holidays!