Yes, we are. The number one reason goals fail is because we start out by identifying our goals. You heard me. Determining what our goals are is actually the second step we should take. The second, not the first step. There is an all-important "step number one" that we often leave out. Because of this, our goals start off on shaky ground with no foundation for success upon which to build.

What is this all-important first step?

Five Steps to Align Yourself with Success

1. Know who you are and what your purpose is.

Who hasn't wondered who they really are and why they are here? Behind every story of sustained long-term success is someone who knows the answers to these two questions:

* Who are you?

* What is your purpose?

Success is generated from the inner place of knowing that what you want will manifest. For that to happen, you must know who you are and what your purpose is. If you don't, then you may reach your goal and not be able to sustain it.

2. Determine your goal.

This step is the first one in most manuals about how to set goals. That's been the problem: the cart has been placed before the horse. Set your goals only after you know the answers to step one, and you will be in a much better place to determine what goals you want. Not what other people want for you. What you want.

* Struggle = Setting goals without knowing who you are and what your purpose is.

3. Affirm it as a done deal.

Affirmations keep you mentally aligned with what you want and who you are. Say your affirmations in the present tense, and say them as if you know they will come to pass. This is the key to saying affirmations correctly.

* Delusion = Affirmation without aligned action.

4. Take aligned action.

Actions keep you moving forward. In order for you to be successful, you will need to take actions that are directly aligned with your goal. If you don't, you will experience frustration; the number one reason people throw in the towel and give up.

* Frustration = Action without alignment.

5. Expect and allow it to come to you.

If step one is the step most often bypassed, then step five is the step most often ignored. However, don't ignore this step! It is not an active action step; it is a state of being. Expecting and allowing something to occur is the opposite of going out and getting it. Being in a state of expectancy and allowing means you actually know your goal will manifest.

* Stuck = Not taking aligned action because you don't believe it's possible.

Coup de Grâce

How many times have you said to yourself, "I'm setting this as my goal, but I have no idea how I'll ever reach it"? Most of us have. The problem is that inherent in this statement is the belief that you can't manifest your goal, and that, even if you do, you won't be able to sustain it. With this kind of belief system in place, you will fail. This is why it's nice to know you have a coup de grâce in your back pocket that you can wield at a moment's notice.

"Coup de grâce" is an expression that means: a deathblow intended to end suffering. Sound rather extreme for the topic of success? Not if you've repeatedly failed at reaching and sustaining your goals. In order for successful goal manifestation to occur, you will need to deliver a firm and decisive deathblow to the dreaded "but... how" statements you're telling yourself. Whenever you hear yourself say or think a "but... how" statement, do these two things:

* Immediately stop what you are saying.

* Counter by taking an aligned action toward your goal.

We've all struggled with how to manifest and sustain long-term success. Well, struggle no more. Know who you are and what your purpose is. Only then will you be able to move past the fear and desperation that thwarts long-term success and into a place of inner strength and confidence that sustains it. And by diligently applying the coup de grâce, you will be able to manifest your goals successfully, each and every time.