We all need goals to keep our lives meaningful and fulfilling. Working towards our dreams is in itself a rewarding process. But despite so many people having so many dreams, few ever get realized. Why?

The obvious way to find an answer to that question is to look at the lives of those who do live their dreams, and those who don’t. By observing the difference, we can also learn how to make our dreams come true.

If you read any successful person's biography, you will be able to find a common thread. They have all found success in essentially the same way - by following a three-step plan. These three simple steps can virtually guarantee the achievement of any goal you may have. Many a time the reason why so many people failed to achieve their dreams is because they neglected any or all of these three steps. Let us see what each step is.

Passion:

Everybody who ever achieved anything had one thing in common - a binding passion for their chosen work. That is the primary element in anyone's success story. If you are trying to live somebody else's dreams, you will be setting yourself up for failure because of the lack of this one critical element. If your dream is strong enough to keep you awake at night, it will make sure you eventually walk the path of success. Do you feel a burning desire within you to achieve your goal? If not, go back and reevaluate your goal. Your calling will be something that energizes you and makes you feel alive every time you think about it. Once you have found your passion, you have your foundation ready. This is the very first step to success.

Consistency:

Successful people are consistent in their efforts. They never let "life" take over - they regularly find time to polish their skills and get closer to their dream. So many of us find it really difficult to spend even an hour a day exclusively to work on our goals. We do not realize the value of the time we lose. Consistency comes through discipline. If we are not willing to discipline ourselves, we should be willing to accept the fact that we will probably not succeed. In order to gain anything in this world, we should be able to consistently work on it. It is all about making a positive commitment to your dream and then following through. Most of us know exactly what we need to do in order to make our dream come true. We know exactly what to do, and many of us even have plans drawn up. But this is only an intermediate stage - the real step is regularly working our plan of action. Perseverance even in the face of failure is what will make your blue prints a reality. Once you have found your passion and identified an action plan, commit to it and be regular about it. This is the second step.

Research:

Even when you feel that you have a wonderful action plan, it is always wise to keep your eyes open about what is going on around you. You might be able to identify new paths which would make your way to your goal easier or more fun-filled. Even if your current plan is working, and even if it is not working, never refuse to keep yourself updated. Look at what the successful ones in your chosen field is doing. You might be able to use that wisdom for your own good. Often, there is no need to reinvent the wheel - we can avoid a lot of mistakes if we are ready to be in the loop. Keeping yourself abreast of current affairs in your chosen area through the news, internet forums, clubs etc will also help you to network and gain valuable contacts who can further your cause. Therefore the third iterative step is to do your research even if you feel there is no need for it.

I hope you enjoyed reading about the three steps to success. Please leave your comments and share this article through bookmarking sites. Thank you!