Many of you may have already seen our SXSW interview with CC Chapman. But it’s worth reposting here, because he talks a lot about something that’s important to all of us: how to get where you want to go. As he says in the video, it’s not enough just to be unhappy with what you’re doing: you have to make changes if you want to make progress, and those changes take hard work.

One great point he raises is that if you know where you want to go, you can make an action plan to get there. That means trying to work backwards from your end goal, and setting up concretes milestones (with deadlines!) you think will get you there. But starting from the end result is key.

It’s also important to remember that your plan will change along the way: it’s important to be flexible and respond both to positives and negatives that may come up. That may mean changing your plan slightly to accomodate a new opportunity that presents itself, and it also means constantly evaluating what you’re doing: if it’s not working, it’s time to change the plan!

For more info on CC Chapman, check out his new book Amazing Things Will Happen or find him on Twitter at cc_chapman.