Fire is an interesting element. I’ve been fascinated by it ever since I was a young boy (there are pictures to prove it), and I continue to be fascinated by it today. It has the ability to provide warmth and light, to fuel any number of machines and actions… and it can destroy, if used in the wrong way.

When I talk about fire here and now, I’m talking about the fire within you and I. You know what I’m talking about – the flame that burns deep in the pit of your stomach, that either tells you that you’re doing what you were born to do, or that you’re getting further and further off-track.

The question is, which fire are you feeding? If you’re like most people, you work in a job that leaves you unfulfilled, wondering if there’s a better way to spend your days, while you spend your nights eating takeout in front of the TV.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Your past doesn’t define your future. Who you are today doesn’t have to be who you are tomorrow. But the only way you can change that is to make a conscious decision here and now on which fire you’re going to feed.

Here’s the thing: making the call is great. It’s a signal that you’ve recognition the desire within you to change your circumstances. But it’s not enough. You need to take a few more steps after that in order to start building momentum.

Decide what you want to change.

What is it about your life that’s not working for you? Is it your job? Your weight? Your fitness level? Is it the personal relationships around you? Your finances? You can’t change if you don’t know what it is you want to work toward. So make a point of deciding that first.

Remember, it doesn’t have to be some pie-in-the-sky goal. In fact, you should be aiming to make your goal as measurable as possible. That means being specific about what you want to achieve (so for example, you’re not aiming to “lose weight,” you’re aiming to “lose 30 lbs”). It also means adding a timeline to the equation. Maybe it becomes “Lose 30 lbs by summer.” Or it’s “Save $50,000 for retirement within five years.”

Doesn’t matter what your goal is, it needs to feel real.

Figure out what it will take to get there.

Great, so you’ve decided it’s time to shake things up and get out of your rut. You’ve even decided what it is you want to work towards. Nice job. But you’re just getting started. You’ve sparked that inner flame, but it’s time to start feeding it!

Now that you know what you want to work toward, you need to start getting some quick wins under your belt. Break down your goal into small tasks, little things you can make tangible progress toward. If your goal is to get in shape, maybe you start by getting outside and going for a short 5-minute walk. If you want to build savings, start by putting just $20 away. If it’s a career change you’re after, maybe you reach out to somebody on LinkedIn who does what you want to do, and ask them for a coffee chat.

Whatever your goal, make the first step an absolute piece of cake to take. We humans get pretty addicted to progress, and when you break something big down into small, daily steps you can take, that progress suddenly gets way more real than if you were just dreaming about the end result.

Get out of your own way

It’s easy to think to yourself “If only I could be more motivated, I’d be able to…”. Here’s another thing about human nature – for most people motivation is elusive. It hits you like a ton of bricks, then vanishes almost as quickly as it arrived. It’s the reason why gyms the world over are packed in January, but empty again by March.

Knowing that, we need to do something to reduce our dependency on motivation. The key here is to put as many steps between you and a bad habit as possible, and remove as many steps between you and a good habit.

If your goal is to save money, set up an automatic withdrawal from your bank account each paycheque, so that you never have a chance to spend it. If you’re trying to get in shape, leave your running shoes at the front door and your workout clothes on the bed for when you come home from work. And while you’re at it, unplug the damn TV and hide the remote in another area of the house, so that you have to work harder to turn the thing on.

Is this making sense? Make it easier to do the small tasks you set for yourself, and make it harder to do the things you know aren’t helping you change.

Celebrate your wins

I think we all know that life is about the journey. As you take steps toward your goal, it’s important to look back down the mountain and see how far you’ve come. When you reach a milestone, make sure you take a moment to stop and celebrate a bit.

As you may know from past posts I’ve written about my student debt, one of my goals is to pay off my line of credit. I’ve adjust what I spend each month to help get there, and because of how much debt I had, I’ve chosen to celebrate every $5,000 I pay off. When I get to $15,000, I’ll celebrate. Same at $10,000 and $5,000. And when I pay it off? Yeah, that’s going to be a good day.

Now here’s the thing – I won’t be celebrating by spending $500 on booze and throwing an all-night rager (too bad, I know). But spending all that money goes directly against my goal of being debt-free. So the celebration will be something smaller and more personal; something that still makes me feel great about my accomplishment, but that won’t directly set me back from it.

No matter what you’re working toward, celebrating your progress toward your goal lets you recognize the momentum you’re building along the way. And let me tell you a secret: momentum is way more powerful than motivation when it comes to accomplishing what you set out to accomplish.

Wrapping it Up

Whether we like it or not, every day we’re making a conscious or unconscious choice to feed one of two fires. We’re either stoking the flames of our soul and spirit by working toward the life we’ve always wanted to live; or we’re fueling the fire that is slowly burning those dreams to the ground, one day at a time.

The question I have for you is, which fire will you choose to feed?