Is your ladder the right height? An easier way to achieve your dreams

If you've ever set up a ladder to climb somewhere like changing a light bulb or cleaning your roof gutters, you'll understand this concept very well. In that simple exercise are the secrets to achieving your dreams.

What are the steps to use a ladder correctly?

First of all, decide exactly what and where you need to reach. In other words, have a goal - change a light bulb, get something off a shelf, or climb onto the roof.

Second, find a ladder the height you need. Lean the ladder at the right angle against a wall or firm support. Ensure it's safe, and step-by-step, climb up as high as you want. Piece of cake.

Now let's consider one of the messages God was giving Jacob when he dreamed of a ladder that reached from the earth to heaven. I'd sum it up like this:


"Look Jacob, I know you have great ambitions and also a great faith. You proved that when you cheated your brother and your father to get my blessing. But listen carefully how this works. It's not by cheating or by magic that you get anywhere. And it's not by your strength either. It's one step at a time, letting Me help you along the way. That's how you get there. If you follow this advice, the sky's your limit, and I'll make sure you get there. Are you ready for the climb?"
"Use the power of setting goals and breaking them down into manageable steps."

"The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult...(Genesis 47:8-9)

You don't want your life to be summed up like this when you're old do you?
So be ready to climb the ladder. Use the power of setting goals and breaking them down into manageable steps. What goals do you have for 2012, for instance? Say, you want a promotion with more responsibilities and at least a 50% salary increase. Then that would be your financial goal at the top of the ladder for the next 12 months.

Then consider if this position exists in your company or not, otherwise begin to look elsewhere. Once those steps are established, then you find a "ladder" - the steps you need to take to get where you want.

I'd suggest evaluating your current skills against the required skills for the new position and close the gap; learn about every aspect of the new post so you can be prepared to fill it; let your boss, human resources manager or whoever, know about your plan to find out what they would expect from you, if you were given that position; prove yourself worthier than all other potential candidates through your excellence, hard work, and track record; and above all, bring God into the equation, recognizing you can't do it by your own strength.

These are just a few rungs on the ladder. As you figure them out, they become much easier to achieve. For instance, you could easily determine that you'll arrive half an hour early every morning for work, can't you? Now, think about what that alone would do to your chances of getting a promotion at the end of one year...

You get the idea.

I used a promotion as an example but the same applies to any other goal you may set - family, health, relationships, spiritual life or any other. And it also works whether you use it to achieve something over one year, ten years, or just have goals for a day. It's not that difficult.

So get up, Jacob. Enough dreaming, already. Set your goals, get your ladder, and start climbing!