While you might feel motivated or inspired, it’s not going to get you very far. It is by action that you will accomplish the goals and dreams you set forth in your life.

Steve Tobak, a featured contributor to Entrepreneur.com, said it best when he stated “Success is not a goal. It’s a way of life.” While it is important to have big aspirations that provide a deeper meaning to your life, when it is simply left as an end goal or “someday” dream, you aren’t going to gain much traction.

So how do you go about putting into action those things that you’ve only ever dreamt about? Here are three key steps you can take to stop dreaming and start doing!

Think about it this way. When you are putting together a jigsaw puzzle, what do you think is the most important part of the puzzle? Some would argue that it is the edge pieces as that’s what gets you started. Others would say it’s the center as that is where the image comes together. But in reality if you really think about it, the most important part of the puzzle is the box. Without an idea of what it is you’re trying to piece together it’s pretty tough to get started. Take time to define what your “puzzle” should look like. Think about what you want to be doing with your days… the kind of house you want to live in… who you want to share your life with… what part of the world do you live in… how much do you want to travel and where… you get the picture. Get very clear on what exactly your ideal life looks like and it is a lot easier to put the pieces together when you have specific targets to aim for. And don’t forget – this is YOUR life. Design it the way you want while ignoring any naysayers. The sky is the limit as long as you’re willing to work for it.

Simply stated, take action! Once you have your ideal vision for your life created take the first step to make it reality. Have you lost passion for your current business endeavors? Do you have a new passion you want to pursue? As the saying goes, life is short – take the leap of faith because if you aren’t happy with what you’re doing, only you can change it. Part of being a do-er is taking accountability for your own life and understanding that you are the one in charge of your behavior, reactions and choices. If you look at a rough life expectancy analysis, on a good run you’re given 85 years on this planet. Which is merely 4,420 weeks. When you put it that way it seems like a lot less than 85 years, doesn’t it? Create your plan and decide on your first step to moving towards your dream life.

Here’s the bottom line… there are 7 days in a week and “someday” isn’t one of them. If you don’t set time-frames on the things you want to accomplish in life then unfortunately for most, “someday” turns into a wish, and that wish turns into regret. The time is going to pass anyway so why not spend your days moving towards your ideal life? One thing that helps you stick to a deadline is to enlist an accountability partner that can help move you towards your biggest goals and dreams. Have you been putting off a vacation you’ve been promising your family? Set a date and get to planning! Have you talked for years about moving to a different part of the country but once again another season has passed and you’re no further on making the move? Well call the realtor and get your house on the market! Maybe you have been looking at a new business venture but you aren’t sure of the first step because it’s a completely different industry than you’ve ever been part of? Find someone in that industry that you admire and schedule a call! Often times the first step is the hardest to take but it opens the most doors once you do!

In Peter Legge’s book, “The Power of Dream” he says “When I talk of dreaming, I’m not talking about day-dreaming. Dreaming involves doing. You dream big and you start to make it come true. You write it down and share it with your spouse or a close friend. You begin to plot your course and look for likeminded people who can help you along the way, you breathe some life into it, keep fanning the flames that will make it burn brighter and remember that everything you do, say or think counts.” There is so much truth in this. By taking action everyday to move forward on your dreams, you too can move from dreamer to achiever!