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As far back as I can remember I have been told that I should make goals. So being the believing human being that I am, I set goals. However still being the human being that I am, I many times have not achieved these goals. Is it because the goals I set were wrong or unreachable? Of course not. The goals were fine; I just haven’t always had a proper process in order. I guess I thought if I set a goal it would automatically be reached. As the years have passed I have “suddenly” begun to understand that goal setting is a very serious process with many checks and balances. Today I would like to address the goals setting process as I have come to understand it. I LOVE football. I love everything about it. I love the atmosphere. I love the smell of freshly cut grass. I love the hot dogs and all the other food served at the games. When autumn comes around every year and people are enjoying the changing color of the leaves, I am looking for footballs in the air. On every football field there are two very important lines. These lines are spaced 100 yards apart, north to south. These two lines are the most important parts of the entire football field. These lines stand out over all of the other lines that are clearly visible to the players, coaches and fans. The two lines I am referring are the GOAL LINES. I don’t think there is any confusion why these lines are called goal lines. A team cannot win unless they cross the goal line at least once during a game (discounting field goals and safeties). Each one of us has goal lines in our own lives. Many however never realize where the goal line is. If you don’t know where the goal line is, how do you know when you score? We all should have clearly defined goal lines in our personal and business lives. Goals help give us purpose and direction. Without direction life can be very difficult. One of the nice features of newer cars is the GPS system. They give us direction in unfamiliar territory. They become our electronic map. Without a map or GPS system it would be very difficult to locate our final destination. Without goals in our lives our final destinations may be areas we have no desire to be. Goals should be well thought out and not just pleasant sounding platitudes. Goals should be set when you are alone without any outside distraction. They should be pondered and examined seriously. Goal setting should not be a timed event. Careful consideration and examination should be practiced. Goals can be long-term, intermediate-term and short-term. For example if a person wants to lose 50 pounds, a short-term goal of losing 5 pounds would be much easier to achieve. After the five pound loss is achieved then 25 pounds could be next on the way to the goal of 50. Too many goals are short-changed because the long-term goal is just too hard to achieve. The short-term goal however in this example is very achievable. Goals should be realistic. It probably isn’t very realistic for a person who is currently making $20,000 a year to set a goal of making $1,000,000 next year. However, making double or triple is a very achievable goal. Obviously there are some pretty amazing “rags to riches” stories but normally massive increases take some time. Goals should be measurable. Progress toward a goal has to be tracked and evaluated to see if you are making progress. In football, a third and five is a measurable goal toward a first down which is a measurable goal toward the goal line. Goals should be written. Your goals should be written and kept in a place that is easily accessible. You should read your written goals often to see where you are in your progress. Mark Victor Hansen said: “You control your destiny. What you think about comes about. By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be.” Goals should be revised. As you review your goals and track your progress it becomes necessary at times to adjust your aim. Perhaps your goals are a little too aggressive or perhaps not aggressive enough. There are many more aspects of goals that could be reviewed but the few areas I have explored should hopefully give you a little push in the right direction. Goals can be shared. I wrote “can” instead of “should” because each person needs to decide this point. Some goals are very personal and therefore kept “closer to the vest” while other goals are quite public. For example goals that affect the entire company should be shared with all employees. Shared goals gather much more momentum. Sometimes goals shared with others greatly motivate the goal setter. No one enjoys failing. Finally it is important that the goals you set are YOUR goals and not those of someone else. OK – HERE IT IS: At age 39 I was on the SWAT team with the Sheriff’s Department where I was employed. During that time of my life I was in top shape. We actually were allowed to work-out and train two hours daily while on duty because of our responsibilities within the organization. After leaving this position I tapered off my workouts, and you probably know what happened after that. I am certain there may be a few of our readers that have also quit exercising as much as they used to. Well this is quite brave on my part, but to emphasize the concept of goal setting – I am publicly announcing my goal of losing 40 pounds. I am starting at 235 pounds and am shooting to get down to 195. I actually want to get to 190 but breaking south of 200 will be a great achievement. I invite anyone to jump on board with me. I will report my progress in each Message In A Bottle so you can hold me accountable for this goal. Trust me this was not an easy decision!!! Great Quotes: Success is the progressive realization of predetermined, worthwhile goals. Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I’ll give you a man who will make history. Give me a man with no goals and I will give you a stock clerk. Web Site Info The web site is being updated to include the dimensions of our products. The dimensions of the item can be seen by clicking. Until the next Message In A Bottle ...….. here’s to your success Dennis Gibson |
Message In A Bottle -
Goal Lines