Leading Yourself: 7 Ways to Achieve Your 10-Year Goals

Imagine you’re at dinner party 10 years from now in a lovely home, with dear friends you haven’t seen in ages. As you make your way around the party catching up on life, each person asks the same questions, wondering what is new with you, your family and your life.

Now let’s return to the present: What do you want those conversations to look like in 10 years? Who do you want to be? What do you hope to have accomplished?

When you’re able to answer these questions, you’re creating a vision for your future and taking the first step in your journey to self-leadership. The next step is deciding how you will achieve these goals.

Creating your blueprint

Start by looking at your current circumstances. Think about the different areas of your life that matter most to you and form goals based on them. Your goals may be professional, financial, mental, spiritual, physical or personal. Which parts of your life do you want to change? Which parts of your life would you like to stay the same? What kind of friend, sibling, parent or employee do you want to be?

By answering these questions, you form a blueprint for what you want to accomplish in the next decade, while also establishing smaller goals you can work on now to help you achieve that future vision.

A physical version of your blueprint, like a vision board, is a helpful way to display your goals and keep yourself accountable.

Leading yourself

With those established, you’re able to focus on what will put you in tune with becoming a leader and being successful. The smallest of details tend to go a long way. By following these seven guidelines, you’ll be able to develop yourself into an outstanding leader.

1. Personal brand: Pay attention to your personal brand – that is, how you represent yourself through your clothes, body language and communication style.
2. Intent: Be intentional about your health and happiness.
3. Organization: Stay organized — whether at work or at home — by establishing routines and keeping an up-to-date calendar.
4. Learning: Commit to learning something new every day.
5. 1% more: Volunteer to work on projects others may not want to do, and always give 1% more than you think you can.
6. Influence: Surround yourself with a solid circle of influence: people who lift you up to the highest self you’ve imagined.
7. Grit: Exhibit the mental toughness to program your mind for success.

By focusing on these seven items, you’ll be better equipped to visualize what your life will be like a decade from now at that dinner party. Hopefully, your circumstances will equal your blueprint, and you’ll be your happiest, most exceptional self.

Additionally, once you have mastered how to lead yourself exceptionally well, you can lead others more effectively. The better you are at taking care of yourself — whether that be mentally, physically, personally or professionally — the more apt you are to make an impact on those around you.