Title: You Know All Those Things You’re Going to Do "Someday?"
Length: 822 words
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You Know All Those Things You’re Going to Do "Someday?"
by Cathy Stucker, IdeaLady.com
Copyright 2003, Cathy Stucker 

"Someday, I’m going to . . ." How would you finish that sentence? We all have things we’re going to do "someday". Some are big things, like getting married, buying a house, finding a new job, starting a business, going back to school, getting your writing published and so on. Others are smaller, but meaningful things, like learning a new language or how to play an instrument. And still others are those tasks we keep putting off, like organizing paperwork or cleaning out the garage.

Amazingly, some of the things we put off until someday are fun things, but even fun things involve some risk--asking someone out on a date, signing up for a dance class or taking that foreign vacation you’ve always thought about. And putting things off until someday is really just a way of avoiding risk.

The truth is that "someday" never comes--until now, that is. September 15^th has been declared "Someday". So the day that you thought would always be in the future is coming to your present! September 15^th is the day to take action on at least one of those things you’ve been putting off.

We humans are very creative when it comes to making up excuses and rationalizations.

"I’m too old."
"I’m too young."
"I don’t have enough time."
"I don’t have enough money."
"I can’t do it until the kids start school."
"I can’t do it until the kids are out of school."
"I have too many other things to do."
"I’ll do it after I finish this other thing (that I’m never going to start either)."
"I don’t have the training or experience I need."
"My spouse/boss/parents/kids/other won’t let me."
"My spouse/boss/parents/kids/siblings/friends/others think it’s a bad idea."
"My spouse/boss/parents/kids/siblings/friends/others won’t help me."

Whew! It makes me tired just reading that list! What do you see when you look behind the excuses? The truth is that you’re too fearful, timid or just plain lazy to do the things you claim you really want to do. But you’re not alone. We all fall into the "someday" trap now and then.

So, how do you overcome those obstacles and make your dreams come true? Follow these steps to face your fears and get the motivation you need to succeed NOW, not some time in the distant future.

1. Specifically define what you want to do. Saying that you want to learn another language isn’t specific enough. What language do you want to learn? You can’t reach your goal until you know exactly what it is.

2. Know why you want to do it. Often, we lack motivation to make a change or take a chance because we don’t have a conscious reason for why we should do this. Why do you want to go back to school? It might be to get ahead in your career, to change careers, just for the joy of learning, or because you think it is important to finish that degree you started on years ago. Any of those are fine reasons; make sure you know what yours is.

3. Visualize your success. It is important to imagine yourself successful to realize that you CAN do it. Thoughts that you can’t do this, you were crazy to think that you could, and you should just quit now and save yourself the aggravation and embarrassment of going further will happen. You will have setbacks and feel frustrated at times. But if you can imagine what your life will be like when you reach your goal, you will find it easier to stay on track.

4. Surround yourself with others who support your vision. You don’t need to hear from a lot of naysayers, telling you that you can’t succeed. Get with people who will support and encourage you as you take steps toward your dream.

5. Use your success as a springboard to other successes. Once you’ve experienced the exhilaration of doing one of your "Someday" projects, you won’t want to wait to start another one!

What are you going to do "Someday", September 15^th? Use it to complete one of those little "someday" projects, such as cleaning out the hall closet, or move toward one of your bigger "someday" dreams, such as taking a first step to starting a business or going back to school. Use it to prepare yourself for your future--rewrite your resume, dust off that short story and mail it off to a publisher, or ask that guy or gal you met recently to join you for coffee. Who knows where that first step will lead you?

Then, pat yourself on the back and feel proud of your accomplishment. Savor the feeling, and remember it well for the next time you think of putting something off until "someday".

As the Idea Lady, Cathy Stucker can help you attract customers and make yourself famous. Get a free tip every Tuesday when you subscribe to Bright Ideas at http://www.IdeaLady.com/.