Alex Tremble, author of The GPS Guide to Success

I am drawn to people who have an exciting vision and take bold action. I’m especially impressed with individuals who develop these behavior patterns at a young age.

Alex Tremble is such a person, and I’m privileged to know him.

We met on Twitter after he gave me positive feedback about one of my blog posts. Our 140-character exchanges led to phone conversations where I learned about his deep commitment to helping young people. His passion is to provide high school students, college students and young professionals with tools and opportunities that can help them succeed.

Following his own model for success led Alex to become the youngest U.S. Federal employee chosen to manage a Government-wide executive development program and receive an invitation to the 2013 White House Youth Summit. It’s also what drove him to start his own company, GPS Leadership Solutions, and write an ebook.

After reading The GPS Guide to Success: How to Navigate Life to Reach Your Personal and Career Goals, I was impressed with the life principles he’s internalized, and I realized why he’s achieved so much already in his life.

It’s because he’s living what he writes about.

Alex describes a simple three-step system (Goals-Plans-Strategies) for achieving your dreams.

These steps are presented in a clear, easy-to-follow format – important for his target audience.

One of my favorite chapters focuses on the benefits of figuring out the WHY of your goal. Too often we decide WHAT we want and then jump into figuring out HOW to get there.

But taking time to examine WHY you want to achieve your goal pays big dividends down the road. Because your WHY will continue to fuel your motivation and drive when the going gets tough.

The process Alex recommends you follow to get at your WHY involves drilling down to uncover your deepest reason. Here’s what you do:

1.  Identify your goal, the outcome you want to achieve.

2.  Ask yourself, “Why is that my goal?” and “Why is that important?”

3.  After you come up with your answers, ask the same two questions regarding the responses you just gave.

4.  Repeat until you cannot ask WHY anymore.

Alex explains that you've now “most likely identified your end destination.” 

I like to think of it as identifying one of your core values. You've figured out what truly feeds your spirit and gives meaning to your life.

With your Goal clearly tied to your WHY, creating the Plan and developing creative Strategies becomes easier. To stay on that path, Alex gives readers three career tips that are absolutely essential to their success in life and work:

• Self-Development 
• Find a Support Network
• Take Responsibility for Decisions

Anyone entering college or starting their career will find valuable information for navigating unfamiliar territory.

I look forward to seeing what great things Alex accomplishes in his life as he continues to implement his own GPS Guide to Success.

For some reason, many of us wait until January 1 each year to set new goals. As if that’s the only time it’s appropriate to describe what you want to do, have or be. Actually, any day can work.

But no matter when you decide the time is right, these five ingredients are essential for those dreams to become a reality. And they apply whether your goals focus on physical health, finances, relationships, career or spirituality.

Beliefs

What you think is possible for yourself will influence the goals you set in the first place. These beliefs also impact the effort you’ll put forth initially – and later.

That’s why your first step needs to focus on identifying the deeply-held thoughts you already have and examining if they’re actually true. You may have imaginary boundaries in place that are simply a reflection of what others have told you is realistic. When you allow yourself to consider possibilities outside this restrictive view, many more options emerge.

Motivation

Your WHY comes into play when you’re in “implementation mode.” But you also need to consider your reasons for selecting these specific goals in the first place. You may set a certain target because, somewhere along the line, you determined this was something you should do. But if you’re not driven by a deeper purpose, a clear vision and a strong passion, you’re more likely to give up at the first sign of trouble.

Commitment

By definition, a goal represents a gap between where you are now and where you want to be. That means you’re going to be investing personal energy over a period of weeks, months or even years to achieve the results you desire. You’ll need determination and perseverance to stick with your plan when you encounter obstacles, disappointments, setbacks and failures. If your goal means that much to you, you’ll heed Winston Churchill’s advice to “Never, never, never give up!”

Visualization

Elite athletes have long understood the value of practicing moves in their minds before performing them in competition. This involves spending time each day vividly imagining yourself performing the actions successfully, in very specific detail accompanied by strong positive feelings. You can invest just a few minutes a day and get some benefit. But if you commit to 30 minutes of mental rehearsal, you’ll be astonished at the impact it has on your results.

Accountability Coach

When you’re trying to achieve anything ambitious, you’ll have times when you feel discouraged or tempted to slack off. That’s why you need someone who supports you and checks to make sure you do the things you say you’ll do. Knowing you have to answer to another person is a powerful driver to taking action and following through. Enlist the help of one person who will consistently hold you accountable for taking the actions you commit to.

Having a coach, combined with the first four factors, will make all the difference in your achievement of your goals.

"A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work." - Colin L. Powell, American secretary of state (1937- ) 

"It is only by working with an energy which is almost superhuman and which looks to uninterested spectators like insanity that we can accomplish anything worth the achievement." - Woodrow Wilson, American president (1856-1924) 

"Most people never run far enough on their first wind, to find out if they've got a second. Give your dreams all you've got, and you'll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you." - William James, American psychologist (1842-1910)