If you wish to reach your heart’s desire, consider taking a few minutes out of every day to focus on your goals. Taking this time makes it easier to attain your dreams. If you are a very shy person, this exercise can be especially helpful because you don’t have to put yourself out there at this very moment. You just visualize what it is you want out of life—to be more outgoing, for example—and paint a picture in your brain of what that would look like.

Who would you be as a more confident person? Would you change your line of work, start a new business, or climb the corporate ladder? How would you behave differently in social situations? Asking yourself these questions will help you develop a better picture of what you want out of life.

Once you create a clear goal in your mind, take the next step to write it down on a piece of paper. Then display your stated goal on your desk or tape it to the bathroom mirror, or any place where you will see it every day. This reminder will act as an affirmation and help keep you focused on your goals even when your life is at its busiest. Remember that the more you think about your direction, the easier it will be to get there. Studies have shown that writing down your goals and reviewing them regularly makes them much easier to reach.

It’s always a good idea to keep your goals achievable. For example, deciding you want to be a rock star would be inadvisable if you can’t play the guitar or sing. Make sure that what you choose to achieve is something that you can actually make happen.

When you take an inventory of your talents and abilities, you will see pretty quickly how far you can go. If you are having a hard time believing in yourself or finding things that you might be good at, you might want to ask a few close friends to name what they see as your greatest abilities and assets. People who care about us can sometimes see things within us that we don’t fully appreciate or even acknowledge in ourselves.

If you tend to enjoy time alone, reaching your goals may include lots of quiet time or being in peaceful surroundings, which is great. But make sure your choice for more alone time isn’t coming from a place of fear or insecurity. There’s a difference between enjoying your solitude and telling yourself that you can’t do something that you are, in fact, more than qualified to accomplish. If you allow your fears to rule, your entire life will be focused around playing it safe, and you may miss out on the good things that are waiting for you out there.

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About the Author: Barton Goldsmith
Honored by several professional associations, Dr. Barton Goldsmith is a multi-award winning syndicated columnist, radio host, psychotherapist, as well as a recognized keynote speaker. Since 2002, Dr. Goldsmith’s weekly column, Emotional Fitness, which is syndicated by Tribune News Service, and has been featured in over 5 s00 publications including The San Francisco Chronicle, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Detroit News, and Time Magazine, giving him a substantial readership. He has been interviewed on numerous TV/Radio shows and for many publications; his expert advice is regularly featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine and he is also the top blogger for Psychology Today, his Emotional Fitness blog has had over 34 Million views. Dr. Goldsmith has authored several books including; Emotional Fitness for Couples – 10 Minutes a Day to a Better Relationship was published by New Harbinger on Valentine’s Day 2006, and the sequel, Emotional Fitness for Intimacy - Sweeten and Deepen Your Love in Just 10 Minutes a Day released by New Harbinger in April '09. Dr. Goldsmith also published Emotional Fitness at Work – 6 Strategic Steps to Success Using the Power of Emotion, the third in the Emotional Fitness book series, that was released in September ’09 by Career Press, who also published 100 Ways to Boost Your Self-Confidence – Believe in Yourself and Others Will Too in May of 2010. His latest book, The Happy Couple, another New Harbinger publication was released on December 1st, 2013. His next book, “100 Ways to Overcome Shyness” was published by Career Press just last year. He has appeared on CNN, Good Morning America, Fox & Friends, CBS News, NBC News, Beauty and The Geek, The Ricki Lake Show and The Mancow Muller Show. Dr. Barton also served as the national spokesperson for the Mars Candy My M&M's Treasured Moments Challenge, and is currently the national spokesperson for the SunTender Pre-Marital Mentoring Program. “Dr. G” also hosted a weekly radio show on NPR affiliate KCLU, with nearly 90,000 listeners from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. He received recognition from the City of Los Angeles for his work with survivors of the 1994 earthquake. His Emotional Fitness column was the winner of the Clark Vincent Award for Writing from the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. In addition, Dr. G received the Peter Markin Merit Award from the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists for his humanitarian efforts. He has also been named as the recipient of the Joseph A. Giannantonio II Award in recognition of his contributions as an Outstanding Educator in the field of Addiction Medicine, given by The California Association of Alcoholism and Drug Counselors, who also inducted him into The CAADAC Hall of Fame on October 1, 2011. Dr. Goldsmith was a National Merit Scholar and a Professor of Psychology at Ryokan College, Los Angeles. Dr. Goldsmith connects with audiences worldwide with his energetic, uplifting and fun communication style. Not a button-down shrink, “Dr. G” has a unique ability to inspire and entertain which leaves his readers, viewers and listeners always wanting more. “Dr. G” began working as a writer when his career in professional basketball was cut short because he only grew to five foot six inches tall.

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