You begin feeling wonderful things when you attach a timeframe to goals

When you have a purpose, set goals and achieve each one and then go to the next goal, you begin feeling wonderful things at each goal you are working on.

Your ultimate destination will turn you into the person you want to be, with the lifestyle you've always wanted and the people around you, you always wanted to have.

But it's those small goals that you set and follow through that will enable you to start feeling like a winner, way before concurring your ultimate goal.

Your certification and IT career goals should have timeframes. Putting a deadline on a goal you want to concur keeps you on track. They are like light posts that lead you to the next thing you want to win. You should have short and long term goals.

Most people make the mistake of having a long term goal. For instance, "I want to become a CISSP". That's a great long term goal and one you can achieve in 5 years or so, if you are starting from 0. But... how can you sustain your motivation for 5 years if you don't set short term goals so you begin feeling like you are approaching being a CISSP?

Many more certifications and experience has to occur before getting that ultimate security certification. Each step you take towards getting your CISSP, you are a winner already. When you have clarity in what you want and stick with it, there is no other possibility than you achieving what you want.

Remember goals and their timeframes are adjustable. Realize that when we do something we haven't experienced before, we are operating in the unknown. Be in the process of completing a goal, see what works and what doesn't, in other words make distinctions and take your data to the next goal. Everything we do has to be measured. If they are effective we continue, if not, we adjust them till they do become effective.