How To Achieve Your Dreams
Part III: Follow a M.A.P.

by Brandon Jubar

It's safe to say that everyone has dreams. Some people dream bigger and others dream smaller, but we're all natural dreamers nonetheless. Our dreams may be different in both size and type, but that's not the greatest difference between us. The greatest difference is not in the dreams we dream, but what we do with the dreams we have.

The third step in achieving your dreams is to create a realistic plan of action. It's easy to get excited when you first set a goal. Unfortunately, that initial excitement can quickly subside -- especially if your progress towards your goal is a lot slower or more complex than you had imagined.

To keep you moving forward and on the right track as you work towards your goals, you'll need to follow your M.A.P. -- otherwise known as a Measurable Action Plan.

Progress Must be Measurable

Even the most reasonable goals can be killed by an unreasonable plan. If you've set very high expectations regarding your progress towards achieving your goals, you may be setting yourself up for failure. This usually occurs when there is no defined plan on how to reach a goal, or when the plan does not include steps that are measurable.

In mentoring young people, a common goal is "get into a good college". The first thing I do is have them choose a particular college. We then break down things like "improve my grades" into smaller goals applicable to each class and make a separate MAP for each. (NOTE: If it's midterm already, there is no way to bring a failing grade up to an "A", so each goal must be achievable.) Next, we create measurable steps that move them toward the goal. "Do my homework" is okay, but "do my math homework when I get home from school each day" is much better (and they can put a checkmark next to each day that this is done).

Taking Steps Involves Action

Generally speaking, in order to measure your progress, the steps in your plan must involve action rather than a state of being or state of mind. For example, let's say my goal is to have a happier family and home life. In order to do that, I need to become closer with my children. However, "become closer with my children" is obviously not a good step to have in my MAP. "Do more things with my children" is slightly better because it involves action -- actually doing something -- but how do you know when it's complete?

If I want to become closer with my children, I need to start by spending more time with them. So the things included in my MAP might be, (1) read to kids before bed every other night for a month, (2) pray with kids before bed every night for a month, (3) take the kids to the zoo, and the list could go on. (Notice that items 1 and 2 have a defined time limit. These things should continue for a long, long time, but having a defined time limit allows me to cross them off of my MAP, thus showing forward progress towards my goal.)

If It's Not Comprehensive, It's Not a Plan

Have you ever purchased something that required assembly, only to find that the directions were incomplete, inaccurate, or unclear? Even though you may have the picture of the finished item, it can be extremely difficult to assemble it properly without good instructions. The same is true for your goals. If your MAP is incomplete, inaccurate, or unclear, how long will you last before giving up on that goal?

The MAP you create should include virtually every step along the way. If you find that certain steps have multiple things to do in order to achieve them, then consider doing a separate MAP for each such step.

Don't get too bogged down in the details, but make sure you have a clear understanding of what it's going to take in order to reach your goal. Having a plan made up of action-oriented steps that are measurable will provide you with the level of detail and guidance you need. That's why you're much more likely to reach your goal if you have a MAP.

Life Applications:

What is a goal you have been working on?
How do you measure your progress towards your goal?
What encourages you while working towards a goal? What discourages you?

Copyright 2005 by Brandon Jubar
All rights reserved.