I’ve just returned from a recent stop in Chicago on my Blast Off Rocket Tour.

What a fun city. Fireworks over Lake Michigan, great shopping, a bustling downtown and did I say great shopping?

During my appearance on “Good Day Chicago” on Fox News, I discussed some of the most important steps in turning your dreams into reality, whether to finally start that business you have always talked about or just bring more fun and passion into your life. Since I was only able to discuss the first few points in my interview (you have to talk fast on television), I have added the complete list below.

Click Here to watch my interview on Fox in Chicago.

1) Get clarity on your goals and dreams. If time, capability or money were no issue, what would you choose to do for a career? What activities or hobbies would you want to experience? Once you remove the limits from your mind, it is easier to allow your imagination to flow. Make a list of your ideas. As you do this, be aware of all the “shoulds, can’ts and what if’s” that are floating around in your head. Just think of what you could accomplish if these damaging thoughts took a permanent vacation. Even if you already have a successful career or business, there may be some new, prosperous and exciting avenues you have not yet explored.

2)  Uncover your roadblocks and face them. Can you relate to any of these thoughts? What if I fail? What will people think of me? What value do I have to offer? It’s these kinds of negative beliefs that hold people back from living a full and thriving life. These illusions will keep you trapped in an unhappy career or relationship and hold you back from living the life you are truly meant to live. I challenge you to choose one of your limiting beliefs and make a commitment to confront it within the next two weeks. If you are unhappy in your work, start exploring other options. If you are feeling like you need more challenge, stimulation or fun, begin to reach out and make new friends who are positive and inspiring. Check out www.MeetUp.com for new activities and connections in your area. Once you begin to take those first few steps, your fear will start to dissolve.

3) Create your Blast Off success plan. In my book, “Blast Off!,” I teach you how to create a Big Picture Vision of your dreams  and goals. As I mentioned in my interview, this helps you feel more directed. Once you feel more directed and have clearer purpose, it is amazing how much better you will feel mentally and emotionally. Once you have a clear picture of where you are headed, break this down into three Mini Feats per day, which are small, bite-size steps toward your bigger dreams and goals. Let’s say you want to run a marathon and you have never trained for one before. The last thing you want to do is start out running several miles. You will burn out, lose interest and probably not be able to walk for a week. Instead, you might start with one mile and build up from there. As you increase your endurance over time, the expansion of your steps gets easier and easier.

4) Ask for guidance and direction from a coach or mentor. As I mentioned in a recent newsletter, one of the biggest secrets of my success is that I have always reached out for support when I’ve needed it. In fact, recent studies show that most successful people have had a coach or mentor in their life. How do you think they learned to do what they are doing? They learn by receiving support and guidance from someone else who has. In fact, up to 40 percent of Fortune 500 Companies use coaches, and a recent study showed that the average return on investment is 529 percent. So by trying to figure it out by yourself, you are actually losing potential profits and adding a lot more time and energy into your learning curve.

5) Take action! This is probably the most important point of all, because honestly, it is all fantasy until you stop dreaming or talking about it and begin setting your ideas in motion. It does not have to be perfect. Good is good enough. If you are waiting until all of your I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed, you may never get out of first gear. And if you don’t take action now, you may still be having this same conversation with yourself in six months or even six years. There is a big beautiful life staring you right in the face. What are you waiting for? This upcoming fun-filled weekend is a perfect time to start.

Allison Maslan, HHP, CCH is president of Blast Off! Life and Business Coaching, an international motivational speaker and No. 1 bestselling author of “Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan to Launch Your Dreams Into Reality.” She has been an avid entrepreneur building nine of her own businesses in many different industries. She has coached thousands of clients in developing and achieving their own successful life and business ventures. Allison has been an expert guest on several FOX, NBC and ABC news shows across the country. For more information, visit www.MyBlastOff.com.

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