The 4th step in moving from Goals to Abundant Declarations is Engagement.  Engagement, as I discuss in my book, Coaching Into Greatness, is hope manifested into action.  I want that to sink in.  Hope manifested into action.

When hope doesn't work, it becomes an illusion.  The Illusion of Hope is all about waiting for other people or events to change our circumstances so we don't have to.  We don't want to make the difficult decisions, do the work, or show up.  Showing up is scary business.  This is another powerful reason so many goals never get met and get recycled or dropped all together. We often pick goals that are all too familiar--too comfortable, too safe.  We even pick goals that are unrealistic, knowing full well, deep down inside, that we're not going to give 100% to reaching them, so it ensures that we keep doing what we've always been doing.

And we keep holding onto those "unattainable" goals.  They sound good.  They might even be impressive.  But they aren't real.

Abundant Declarations are real because they are intimately connected to who you are, where you're at, and the big picture of your life.  Engagement plays a huge role in this big picture of life.  When we're engaged, we have a visualization of where we're going, what the end result is, and the final destination.

But we don't let the destination cause us to miss out on the journey to getting there.

People who are engaged understand that the journey is more important than the destination, that the twists and turns on the road of life are actually the landmarks, the guideposts, the beautiful wildflowers and scenic views that matter most.

Engagement is about loving life and living it every day, not just at the end of the road.  The road is life.  If we pay attention, we might just love it as much as what we think is coming at the end.

Are you engaged or are you putting in time?