I‘m truly inspired. Heck, I just got to see Oprah Winfrey and Seth Godin deliver two keynote speeches in the past couple days.

How has your week been?!

I just got back from an amazing four days in Washington, DC. I attended the annual Association of Talent Development conference and learned a tremendous amount. As I’ve grown into my true professional self over the last couple of years, I’ve continued to become more passionate about leadership development and wanting to help and serve others. This conference, in so many ways, was validation that I’m doing the right thing.

The point of today’s post is to help you recognize when you’re on the right track- what that looks like, and what it’s all about.

We all pass sign posts on our life and career journey. Sometimes we notice them. Sometimes, we don’t. It became apparent to me in the past several days as I continued to learn, continued to grow, that I’m doing the right thing. That I’ve surrounded myself with some special people that have been willing to help.

But also, that I’ve truly gone after my dreams. I’m getting it.

My hope for every one of you is that you will realize exactly what it is that you want to do- then get after it with intensity, hope, love and commitment.

All right, all right. “Thanks, Mr. Inspirational!,” you may be thinking. I hope you know above everything else, I’m always substance over style. So, what do I mean by going and getting it?

I define this as an everyday commitment to doing work that you believe in with all your heart, and most importantly, that will ignite the passion inside of you and fulfill you in the long-term.

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” — Earl Nightingale

Going and getting it means that you’re (above everything else) willing to do two things:

1 and 2) Learn and take Action.

In order to take action in life, we have to feel confident in what we’re doing. Part of feeling confident is feeling knowledgeable. It’s having an expectation that things are going to work out. Maybe not right away, but with time, you believe and have confidence that you’re going to get what you want.

Learning can come in a variety of ways. It’s reading books, listening to podcasts, watching help videos, engaging with experts in your field and attending conferences, among many other things. It’s having a thirst for knowledge, in the hopes that you will gain the tools you need to build toward the lofty goals and dreams that you have.

And then, of course, committing to this for the rest of your life. Lifelong learning is really where it’s at. And with the Internet at our disposal, there’s no excuse to give up or stop. Our education doesn’t end in the school system. It should be a constant throughout our journey.

The more you get exposure to experts, leaders, and people in your field, the more you realize, “I can do this. This is my time!”

Then, the taking action part gets wrapped up in that awesome, electric momentum and you keep going every day.

We all define our own success. But, there are certainly common threads to getting on the track to do great things.

• Focus
• Discipline
• Love for what you do
• A willingness to create and do good for the benefit of others

As you reflect on all that you’re doing, think about whether you’re learning and taking action in a way that will get you to the level that you want to be. There are no guarantees in life, but I do believe hard work and a positive attitude will assure you that you find fulfillment in whatever you choose to do.

If you’re not on the right track, take a minute and determine what it might take to get centered and focused around what you truly want. Reach out to me, let me know if I can help you.

If you’re already on the right track, be content with your progress, but keep asking yourself whether you can do more to gain an edge. Make that extra call. Reach out to that former colleague. Attend that conference. Record that video and share your expertise with the world.

Go get it. The future belongs to those of us who are unwilling to compromise with mediocrity, and instead will never settle for anything but being the best.

Read more from www.theladders.com here: “How to get get exactly what you want”