Don’t just plant a tree, plant an orchard.

Before writing the first chapter of Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling had a plan for seven years at Hogwarts.

How different might the Harry Potter series have been if Rowling started the book without any intentions or plan beyond the first book? By “beginning with the end in mind,” Rowling was able to direct and position her first book much differently and was able to create a much bigger story. Rowling planted seeds for things to come early and thoughtfully, and as a result, each book was a continuation of the next- the fruition of the orchard she planned before she even sold a single book.

What if, like Rowling, you were living this year based on what you intend to do in 1, 3, and 5 years from now?

Benjamin P. Hardy author of Why You Should be Planning for 2019, Not 2018 asks this question, then details the challenges we face when setting goals and how we can work to overcome our own self doubts and difficulties with planning for beyond the short term and setting ourselves on a path to living a consciously designed life. While we can’t guarantee Harry Potter level success, implementing our Stout takeaways from Hardy’s work will challenge you to create long-term goals and set you up to live a consciously designed life.

If you don’t make a conscious effort to visualize who you are and what you want in life, then you empower other people and circumstances to shape you and your life by default. – Dr. Stephen Covey

#StoutTakeaways for How To Create Long-term Goals & Live a Consciously Designed Life

Believe YOU ARE IN CONTROL of what happens to you and YOU CAN MAKE A PLAN

A great untruth being put out there today: The idea that you are not in control of what happens in your own life. What would happen if you hired someone to build your house and they said, “Don’t bother giving us a blueprint. After all, you can’t really plan for anything.” When you build a house, you have a plan so you don’t have the bathroom where you wanted the kitchen. If you stay flexible in HOW you achieve your goals, you can position yourself, make a plan and, with complete commitment, build your success even if things change around you.

Believe in YOUR OWN ABILITY to make things happen

Psychological science has found that people with high confidence in their own ability to achieve their goals and a strong belief that they, not external circumstances, determine the outcomes of their life radically outperform others.

Believe you, and only you, are RESPONSIBLE for the choices you make

It’s easy to believe the idea that you are not responsible for what happens to you. It’s much harder to own up to the fact that you are making choices every instant that determine your future. The moment you realize you have complete responsibility for every aspect of your life is the exact moment you gain freedom and control of your own journey to success!

Stay MOTIVATED, even when life is difficult.

If you don’t truly value the goal, believe you have effective means of achieving your goal and expect yourself to do what it takes, you won’t be motivated. A tip to get motivated: what other people expect of you often determines how well you do. Surround yourself with people who have high expectations for you and you’ll generally live up to those expectations.

Visit Benjamin P. Hardy on Medium for more insights on living consciously and challenging yourself.
Want more #Stout takeaways to fuel your journey? Check out our Stout Magazine 2017 Year In Review.