Do you have any regrets?  How about dreams that just haven’t come true?  Maybe you blame it on your circumstances, a lack of proper training in years past, or a track record of failures.  It’s time to change that.  You can reach your potential in any area: at home, at work, in relationships, etc.  It’s never too late to get going.

You’ve probably heard the old saying about the lottery: you can’t win if you don’t play.  That holds true for almost anything.  If there’s something you want in life, whether it be a promotion, a better home, or a positive relationship, you need to take the steps necessary to get there.  And don’t say you’re going to try.  To really have a chance at the results you want, it’s time to start doing.

Chalene Johnson, the creator of the popular DVD exercise programs Turbo Jam and ChaLEAN Extreme, is currently running a session of YouTube videos from her motivational speaking seminars.  In one of them, she makes a great point about how reaching your potential is all about perspective.  If you say or do something that causes 20 people to tell you how amazing it was, but one person only has a negative comment, what do you normally focus on?  If you’re like most people, that one negative comment is enough to ruin the rest of your day and cause you to avoid doing whatever it was that prompted the comment.

If you focus on the positive, you’re more likely to have positive results.  For example, if you’re about to go onstage to perform or give a huge presentation and you walk out thinking you’re going to trip and fall on your face or mess up somehow, you probably will.  If you believe you’re going to do well, you’ll have the poise you desire.  You alone can choose what you place your focus on.  Your perspective can change something as simple as going to a party; if you think you’re going to have a miserable time, you probably will because you’ll be giving off a negative vibe.  If you expect to have fun, people will be attracted to your positive energy.

Of course, it’s not realistic to be 100% positive all the time.  No matter your outlook, you will still encounter failure, and there will always be instances when you just need to let off steam, cry, or mourn, and this is healthy.  It’s how you handle yourself in these situations that will make the ultimate difference.  When you let that negative energy consume your everyday life, that’s when you have a problem.  It may sound cheesy, but it’s true that you are your greatest obstacle to your own success.  If you stay focused on the negative, you’ll never learn from your failures or be able to make a change, so where is your motivation going to come from?

There are no handouts waiting for you.  Only actions will produce results.  Read books.  Take classes.  Network.  Find every last bit of helpful advice that can help you reach your goals.  Ignore anything that you know doesn’t apply to you or has the potential to crush your hopes.  You can dream and wish all you want, but nothing is going to happen until you get up and make it happen yourself.

Don’t let yourself get too comfortable in one place for too long, especially if you know that’s not where you want to be.  If you notice yourself falling into a routine that’s sucking the life out of you, make a change.  It might be scary, but overcoming your fears is a key step in reaching your goals, and it feels good to make that accomplishment, too!

There is a wealth of information available to help you, no matter what you’re hoping to be successful in, so you have no excuses not to follow the path to your goals.  A little homework and determination can go quite a long way, whether you’re dreaming big or small.  Stay realistic, but not comfortable, and stay active!