When we fail to plan, we plan to fail. It's too easy to get derailed when we have no set plan to get ahead. Distractions turn our attention away, and we don't even notice that we're headed off for a destination in a totally different direction than we started out.

Have you been spinning your wheels, and wondering why you just feel as though you never get anywhere in life? Sit yourself down and put together a plan to succeed. Where are you wanting to go? When do you want to get there? These questions are a good place to get started.

Goals come in many shapes, sizes and ranges. Your goal may be as simple as to quit biting your fingernails or as grand as becoming a doctor. Whatever your aim, you're much more likely to get there with a clear-cut plan to chart your course. Of course your map will vary with the extent of your goal, but there are a few tips that will make your plan more successful.

Break long range goals into a series of short-term goals that can be easily achieved. Look at the big picture and decide how to get there. It's important to decide on the steps you need to take before you blindly set out to conquer the world.

MaryAnn found herself thirty pounds overweight and decided to shed those unwanted pounds in time for her daughter's wedding. Fortunately, she took the time to consider the necessary steps to healthily shedding the pounds. Her plan included a change in her eating habits, extra exercise, and visits to a weight loss support group, but her number one step was to visit her family physician.

MaryAnn's heart flutters everytime she remembers that her daugher's wedding very well could have gone on without her to witness the most prized event in her lifetime. The visit to the doctor's office had revealed that MaryAnn was in grave danger of a heart attack. What if she had jumped into an exercise program with wild abandon? Still fifteen pounds more than she wanted to be, MaryAnn enjoyed the wedding to its fullness - thankful to just be there.

Is there something in your life that you've been going to accomplish, but never seem to get around to it? We all have some of those little clouds hanging over our heads. Most of the time we ignore their shadow, but once in a while they get our attention. At that moment they finally achieve the place of priority in our life.

Priority makes things seem important. Planning to make these little blights that block out the sunshine a priority will ensure that they are bannished from our horizons. Imagine the feeling of the bright sunshine warming your shoulders without the persistent hinderance of those little clouds that keep you from feeling the full effects of satisfaction!

Are you planning to bask in the warmth of success? You really can do it by making a plan, breaking it into achievable steps, and putting it at the top of your list of priorities. Got a list as longs as Santa's Christmas list? Pick one! Just one success will inspire you to tackle the next, until accomplishment becomes part of your very nature.