Zig Ziglar said "How can you hit a target that you can't see? Even worse, how can you hit a target that you don't even have?"
I use to hate to-do lists and completely despised long term objective setting. I'm not sure if I thought it was a hassle ... or if I thought they were a waste of time ... or if I just didn't want to be held accountable (even if they were my own goals!).
Then one day while listening to Zig Ziglar (for the umpteenth time) it finally clicked! He was talking about a study from 1953 conducted on Yale graduates over a twenty year span. He stated that about five percent (5%) of those grads had clear, specific goals and had a higher rate of achievement. Furthermore, he said that about three percent (3%) of those grads had actually written down their clear, specific goals and made plans to achieve them. It turned out that this three percent had accumulated more wealth and success than the ninety-seven percent (97%) who hadn't written their goals down!
Before writing this entry I was compelled to do a quick web search to confirm the above. I couldn't find oft cited Yale study. Rather, I found lots of authors and speakers quoting the same study and quoting Ziglar; and I also found an article doubting the study ever occurred at all. No matter, I have seen the results in my own life and know (at least for me) writing down my clear, well defined goals has amazing results. It seems to me that when your goals are written down and you outline the steps to achieve them you no longer have just goals or dreams ... you also have a plan! And having a plan is a major part of achieving your goals. If you don't have a plan for yourself then you will be a victim to others' plans for you. If you have a plan you can be a victor. You get to choose, you can be a victor or a victim!
Many claim not to know where and when to start. I think that is just an excuse. When to start is easy ... start now! Where to start isn't much harder ... just work backwards from where you want to be in five years until you get to where you are today. That is where you start!
I think that bigger problem is that you are lacking confidence. You need to get you some! Start small, don't start with giant targets or goals. Sometimes our goals can be so lofty and impossible looking that we get discouraged by the goal itself!
If your goal is to be a millionaire and your current situation (income, debts and career path) don't lend themselves to becoming a millionaire then you need to change your focus. You know it's not an impossible goal, since the world has many millionaires and billionaires in it! In your case, by working backwards you will see that the level before "Millionaire" is "Thousand-aire." Maybe you are already a "Thousand-aire" and you don't have much farther to go? If not, the level below "Thousand-aire" is "Hundred-aire" The level below that is "Zero-aire" ... and nowadays you can even be negative, you might be a "Negative-aire!". If you are starting here then your first goal should be to get to zero! Your five or ten year goal may and should still be to become a millionaire, but perhaps your one year goal needs to be getting to zero? Define and write down the steps that you need to take to get to zero and act on them! Once you get here you will be amazed at how easy it will be for you to get to your next level!
Have a great day!
Monday, May 9, 2016
Monday, May 2, 2016
Don't get too comfortable!
Don't get too comfortable or you run the risk of missing your goals, losing your dreams, falling behind, or worse, going backwards!
What happens to me when I am in the middle of yard work on a hot Saturday morning and I decide to take a break? That depends on what kind of break I take!
Picture a ninety-five degree Saturday morning in central Florida. The humidity is about one hundred percent, give or take a percentage point. I've probably already mowed the lawn and still need to edge it, blow the clippings into a pile and put them in a garbage bag. Let's say I'm about halfway done. I want to (I need to!) take a little break and cool off, otherwise I will melt. Let's take a look at three of my options:
Option #2 sounds like a pretty good and reasonable choice. But let's be honest, I'm going to plop down in the shade and if I get up before it gets dark it will only be to get a beer.
Option #1 (at least in my case) is my best choice and takes the least amount of time. If you are like me, when you get too comfortable with your situation you don't want to leave your situation.
And I am not just talking about yard work. Remember all of those hopes and dreams that you had when you were younger. You know like the one that had you where you were going to become the world's first firefighting-doctor-astronaut on his way to Mars, who could also sing better than Frank Sinatra! Yeah, we've all had similar goals. But then one day we realized how much work it would be to achieve that goal, how much we would have to sacrifice, how UNCOMFORTABLE we would have to be for a few years and we decided maybe things are okay the way they are.
Don't let go of a dream because you are comfortable in your current situation. It's okay to change your goals/dreams. You should be chasing what you are passionate about. Find that passion and go after, don't settle for being comfortable where you are at.
As Jim Rohn said "Rest very little!" Surely, you will need to rest along the way. You'll need to re-energize your mind, your body and refocus your efforts. But get too comfortable, don't sit down in the shade for too long and definitely don't go inside where the A/C is at or you'll never accomplish your goal!
Have a great day!
What happens to me when I am in the middle of yard work on a hot Saturday morning and I decide to take a break? That depends on what kind of break I take!
Picture a ninety-five degree Saturday morning in central Florida. The humidity is about one hundred percent, give or take a percentage point. I've probably already mowed the lawn and still need to edge it, blow the clippings into a pile and put them in a garbage bag. Let's say I'm about halfway done. I want to (I need to!) take a little break and cool off, otherwise I will melt. Let's take a look at three of my options:
- Go to the outdoor fridge, grab a water or Gatorade, drink it down and go back to work
- Go to the outdoor fridge, grab a water or Gatorade, drink it down while sitting in a chair in the shade
- Go inside, grab a water or Gatorade and sit down in the A/C to cool off
Option #2 sounds like a pretty good and reasonable choice. But let's be honest, I'm going to plop down in the shade and if I get up before it gets dark it will only be to get a beer.
Option #1 (at least in my case) is my best choice and takes the least amount of time. If you are like me, when you get too comfortable with your situation you don't want to leave your situation.
And I am not just talking about yard work. Remember all of those hopes and dreams that you had when you were younger. You know like the one that had you where you were going to become the world's first firefighting-doctor-astronaut on his way to Mars, who could also sing better than Frank Sinatra! Yeah, we've all had similar goals. But then one day we realized how much work it would be to achieve that goal, how much we would have to sacrifice, how UNCOMFORTABLE we would have to be for a few years and we decided maybe things are okay the way they are.
Don't let go of a dream because you are comfortable in your current situation. It's okay to change your goals/dreams. You should be chasing what you are passionate about. Find that passion and go after, don't settle for being comfortable where you are at.
As Jim Rohn said "Rest very little!" Surely, you will need to rest along the way. You'll need to re-energize your mind, your body and refocus your efforts. But get too comfortable, don't sit down in the shade for too long and definitely don't go inside where the A/C is at or you'll never accomplish your goal!
Have a great day!
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