Have you ever decided that there is something that you really want? A goal or dream, and you know exactly how you’re going to get it? You feel motivated and determined, but as time goes on, it just doesn’t seem to be happening the way you saw it in your mind. The beautiful vision you had is slowly (or rapidly) dissipating.

What can you do?

Pay attention and be open. It sounds basic, but there is more than one way to a goal, more ways to achieve something than what you decided. Think of becoming a millionaire. What are all the ways that can happen? Write down every way you can think of. You can win the lottery. You can work hard and sell your business. You can marry into it. You can be a billionaire and make some really bad decisions. There are endless possibilities!

Sometimes we have such an iron fist around our goals and dreams and how exactly they are going to happen that it chokes them off. But circumstances change as you take action. More options can come along to help you move more quickly towards your goal but only if you are aware enough to recognize when that happens.

Someone can come into your life that is an influencer and by connecting with them; you can short cut your progress. They might mentor you or introduce you to others that will fast track your goal progress. They may know of a company that is looking for an individual like you. They may be aware of just the business opportunities you seek.

A management training program might become available that isn’t widely advertised within your company, but you happen to overhear someone mention it, so you inquire and are eligible. It might just seem like you were in the right place at the right time, and yes, that could be the case, but if you were rigid and inflexible about your method for achieving your professional goal, you likely would not have even heard the conversation, or perhaps dismissed it. Now you’ve got a shortcut to where you want to go and have increased visibility within your organization by being in the program.

Things like that happen when you are open and have the right frame of mind. You look for and find what you give your mind instruction to seek, but you have to be willing to see other options and explore their validity when they come along too.

Say yes when these opportunities come around. Explore them and be willing to get to where you want to go in a different way. Take new steps out of your comfort zone; you’ll be happy to you did.