Write 'em down: Trust me... you need to write them down, ink to paper. What is it you want to accomplish? Make the list. Get specific about what those goals are. Financial Freedom, as an example, is too vague. What exactly does that look like for you? Time with the family, boating, traveling, living somewhere else? The goal of pin level in your company, in it's self, will do nothing for you. What does that pin translate into, though? Recognition, lifestyle or what? Define your goals. No need to read any further until you have done that one thing. Write down your goals and get it detailed. If you still haven't done it, do it right now.
Keep 'em in front of you: Ever heard of the rabbit chasing the carrot? That carrot was out in front of the rabbit, not the rabbit in front of the carrot. You should never get in front of your goals. Your goals should always be out there where you're reaching for them, striving toward them. Can you image the carrot behind the rabbit and chasing it? It doesn't make sense. If you think you're magically going to have some goals chasing you to success, you're badly mistaken. Get your goals in front of you. Start chasing the carrot, I mean your goals.
Look at 'em multiple times a day: "Out of Sight, Out of Mind." Ever hear that before? Well, it is absolutely true. You have the goals written down, now look at them. This is somewhat different from "Keep 'em in front of you", which is more of a FOCUS issue. By looking at them, you will know what you're reaching for or striving toward. You need to transfer them to 3 x 5 cards, put them on the frig, tape them to the bathrrom mirror, carry them with you all the time and go as far as getting pictures that might depict what your goals are. If you are serious about achieving success, then look at your goals multiple times a day.
Commit 'em to memory: I am sure you have heard the phrase, "What you think about, is what you will become." Think about stress, problems and what you think you can't accomplish and that is exactly what you will get. Think about success, your goals and what you want out of life. If your mentor (that's a totally different topic, but you do need the right mentor) would ask you what your goals are, would you have to look at your 3 x 5 card? Would the answer be vague? Or could you rattle off, in very specific terms, what your goals are? Memorize them.
Look at 'em again: Committing your goals to memory does not negate your looking at them multiple times a day. So, look at them again and again and again.
Get FOCUSED on 'em: Why are there blinders on a horse? Does the horse have a tendency to look around? You never see blinders on a rabbit, because the rabbit is FOCUSED on that carrot. If you have to have blinders to get FOCUSED, then put them on NOW. Regardless of how you do it, get FOCUSED on your goals.
Act on 'em: Now get going. Just Do It (as Nike commercials would say), and do it again and again and over and over again. Success is not the result of doing one thing here and one thing there. Success is the result of consistently acting on and doing what is required to accomplish the goals you have set forth.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENT IN YOUR LIFE?
Robert H. Schuller
Charles C. Noble
