| Does it pay to hire someone to analyse your dreams? | | | | bills or avoiding the foreclosure of your home. The |
| Will it make any difference in your present or future | | | | second group should encompass your most important |
| life? I must express my scepticism about the | | | | long-term goals, like moving to Paris. |
| psychological and practical returns on such | | | | 8. The less short-term burning issues and the more |
| investments. | | | | long-term goals you have, the better. |
| When a problem of personal nature comes up, do you | | | | 9. In the third column, write down specific steps that |
| really believe that talking endlessly about your past is | | | | you can take in order to advance, for each issue, from |
| going to change your future? Should you not rather | | | | your present status to your future goal. In the |
| establish a plan of action and push yourself into | | | | geographical example, the actions could consist of |
| implementing it? | | | | selling your house in Detroit, learning French, looking for |
| The solution to past problems begins with present | | | | a job in Paris, finding a house to rent there, and |
| action. Paralysis only aggravates problems. Relentless | | | | preparing the removal of your possessions from |
| action is the best countermeasure. The way forward | | | | Detroit to Paris. |
| entails defining goals, making plans, and following them | | | | 10. Begin to implement your actions one by one, |
| through. | | | | pushing yourself everyday into carrying them out. |
| Let me break down my advice in 12 sequential steps: | | | | 11. Many of your foreseen undertakings will fail or will |
| 1. Get a pencil and a piece of paper and draw two | | | | reveal themselves impracticable. Never mind. Simply |
| vertical lines in the middle, creating three columns. | | | | cross failed actions from your list and replace them by |
| 2. In the first column, write down where you are now, | | | | new alternatives. The fact that you are doing |
| for instance "I live in Detroit and I don't like it." | | | | something is already helping you learn what doesn't |
| 3. In the second column, write down where you want | | | | work. |
| to be, for example "I want to live in Paris." | | | | 12. Step by step, your implementation will become |
| 4. For the moment, leave the third column blank. | | | | sharper and increase the effectiveness of your results. |
| 5. Cross from the list all items that are of secondary | | | | Relentless action, in addition to producing practical |
| importance or that you don't wish to address right | | | | gains, enhances your psychological well-being. The |
| now. | | | | souls of those who live by action also grow daily in |
| 6. You should be left with no more than six present | | | | wisdom. Peace of mind does not come from |
| and future elements. Let those be your priorities, at | | | | immobility, but from the process of pushing forward. |
| least for the time being. | | | | The human brain is not made for wallowing in past |
| 7. Classify your six remaining problems and objectives | | | | mistakes. Rational goals and ambitions bring out the |
| into two groups. One should contain burning short-term | | | | best in human beings. Relentless action elevates men |
| issues that need urgent attention, like settling pending | | | | and women beyond the weight of personal history. |