When I was a young man I loved going to my grandfather’s house in Oklahoma. He had a huge ranch, probably about 10,000 acres, and raised cattle and grew alfalfa, as well as other things. It was a lot of fun for a young man because there was so much to explore and so much to do. One day when he was going out to one of the fields to prepare it for planting alfalfa, he asked if I wanted to help him. I jumped at the chance because that meant maybe he was going to let me drive the tractor.
When we got out to the field he began the task of plowing the soil to prepare it for planting. I watched in awe as he expertly handled that big tractor. When we looked behind us we could see the straight as an arrow rows that he had plowed. After what seemed like an eternity he ask me if I wanted to try. With pride I jumped behind the wheel of the tractor and away we went. When we looked behind us the rows were as crooked as if a snake had plowed them.
It was then that I learned a life-lesson I have never forgotten. My grandfather told me the reason the rows I plowed were not as straight as his, was not because I couldn’t drive the tractor right, but rather because I was focusing on the wrong thing. You see when I drove the tractor I was constantly looking behind me to admire what I had done. He taught me the secret to plowing a straight row was to find something on the horizon to aim at and to stay focused on it. He taught me you can’t plow a straight row if you are constantly looking back. So I did what he told me to do. I picked a tree or a fence post on the far end of the field and never took my eyes off of it. When I finished my first row we looked back and the row I had plowed was as straight as any he had plowed.
This is the way it is in all areas of life. You cannot arrive at your destination if you get off course. Far too many never see their goals fulfilled because they lose focus of where they are going and what they want to accomplish. They allow circumstances and people to distract them from their main objectives. They constantly look back at what they’ve done or could have done differently.
Track stars understand the necessity of keeping their eyes on the finish line. One of the first things you learn when you begin to run track is to look straight ahead. You learn to not look around at what the other runners are doing. Why? Because doing so will distract you, slow you down, and cause you to get off course. By focusing on the finish line, you are putting yourself in position to win the race.
What are you aiming at? What goals do you want to achieve? What do you want to accomplish? How is your focus? Are you on track or are you off track? By learning to stay on track you can be assured that you will reach your destination if you don’t quit!
Here are some keys to help you stay "On Track."
1. Focus. Great achievers have the ability to focus and stay focused on their goals. They have the ability to block out things that would destroy their focus ability. To succeed you must learn to concentrate on what you are doing until. Don’t break your focus until you have reached your goals.
2. Beware of distractions. There are all kind of seemingly important things vying for your attention. Everything from phone calls, unexpected visitors, honey-do lists, and even emergencies can distract you from your objectives if you allow them to.
3. Don’t be easily discouraged. Another deterrent to staying on track is discouragement. Setbacks, criticism, unexpected circumstances, can all produce discouragement. To be successful you must learn to stay encouraged. Keep the end result in mind. By focusing on the joy of accomplishment you are able to ward off discouragement.
4. Commit to the long haul. Far too many give up to soon because of delays in reaching their goals. You must remember that in most things there is no overnight success. There are many delays on the road to accomplishment. Don’t allow yourself to give up because of delays.
5. Make on course adjustments. When NASA launches a spacecraft to travel to a particular destination, whether it is the moon or a planet, in order for it to reach it’s destination there must be constant course adjustments made. Being off just a few centimeters can cause the craft to miss its destination by thousands of miles. So it is with all of life. In order to successfully reach your goals and objectives you must make constant adjustments to your goals, plans and thinking, to get where you want to go.
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Monday, February 23, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Do You Need Some Change?
Do you ever find yourself questioning why you are doing what you are doing? Has life lost its luster? Do you ever feel like for some reason you have gotten off track and don’t know how it happened? Does it feel like your life is stuck on a treadmill? That you’re always busy but never getting anywhere?
If you’re like me, and you probably are, you’ve asked yourself these and other questions similar to these hundreds of times, and your answer is a big fat “YES!” Now the question is, “So what are you going to do about it?” You can either give in and settle for less than what is possible, or you can make the decision to do whatever it takes to break out of the mundane existence you find yourself in.
From time to time we all find ourselves in some sort of rut. It’s easy to get in a rut without even realizing it. You know you are in a rut when what used to be fun and was a challenge has become ritualistic and boring. Someone has rightly said, “A rut is nothing more than a grave with both ends kicked out of it.” It is existing instead of excelling at what you were created for.
It is important to examine our lives from time to time, in order to discover the rituals, habits, or ruts that we have developed. Especially the ones that are making us miserable. Plato is quoted as saying, “The life which is unexamined is not worth living.”
Notice what the Bible says about examining your life. “But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.” (Galatians 6:4) Taking personal inventory of your life, and examining yourself, is not always a fun process. But, it is vitally important so you can make adjustments that lead to greater success and productivity.
Right now, in our world, with the economic crisis that is getting so much press, individuals, businesses, and organizations are having to examine their practices as to what is working or not working. They are having to take a long hard look at what is necessary and what is unnecessary as to their projects, their spending, and their work force. Then they have to make the changes necessary to succeed in the face of failure.
One of the keys to success is the ability to adapt. To make the necessary on course adjustments that will get you to where you want to go. When NASA launches a spacecraft or satellite into orbit, there are countless numbers of adjustments that have to be made along the way in order to get them in the proper orbital pattern. So it is with all of life. If you don’t make the necessary adjustments along the way you’ll miss your destination (goals) by miles.
My challenge to you today is to set aside some time and ask yourself the hard questions. Make the time to examine all areas of your life; Your attitude, your life purpose, your gifts and talents, your passion, your dreams, your spending habits, your work habits etc. Then make the decision to make the necessary adjustments and changes that will lead to personal success and productivity. “If what you are doing isn’t working, then you need to change what you are doing!”
To your success!
If you’re like me, and you probably are, you’ve asked yourself these and other questions similar to these hundreds of times, and your answer is a big fat “YES!” Now the question is, “So what are you going to do about it?” You can either give in and settle for less than what is possible, or you can make the decision to do whatever it takes to break out of the mundane existence you find yourself in.
From time to time we all find ourselves in some sort of rut. It’s easy to get in a rut without even realizing it. You know you are in a rut when what used to be fun and was a challenge has become ritualistic and boring. Someone has rightly said, “A rut is nothing more than a grave with both ends kicked out of it.” It is existing instead of excelling at what you were created for.
It is important to examine our lives from time to time, in order to discover the rituals, habits, or ruts that we have developed. Especially the ones that are making us miserable. Plato is quoted as saying, “The life which is unexamined is not worth living.”
Notice what the Bible says about examining your life. “But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.” (Galatians 6:4) Taking personal inventory of your life, and examining yourself, is not always a fun process. But, it is vitally important so you can make adjustments that lead to greater success and productivity.
Right now, in our world, with the economic crisis that is getting so much press, individuals, businesses, and organizations are having to examine their practices as to what is working or not working. They are having to take a long hard look at what is necessary and what is unnecessary as to their projects, their spending, and their work force. Then they have to make the changes necessary to succeed in the face of failure.
One of the keys to success is the ability to adapt. To make the necessary on course adjustments that will get you to where you want to go. When NASA launches a spacecraft or satellite into orbit, there are countless numbers of adjustments that have to be made along the way in order to get them in the proper orbital pattern. So it is with all of life. If you don’t make the necessary adjustments along the way you’ll miss your destination (goals) by miles.
My challenge to you today is to set aside some time and ask yourself the hard questions. Make the time to examine all areas of your life; Your attitude, your life purpose, your gifts and talents, your passion, your dreams, your spending habits, your work habits etc. Then make the decision to make the necessary adjustments and changes that will lead to personal success and productivity. “If what you are doing isn’t working, then you need to change what you are doing!”
To your success!
Monday, February 09, 2009
Seven Qualities of Goal Setters
Did you know if you are a goal setter you are more likely to be successful then if you aren’t? While we all know the need for and value of setting goals, few people actually practice setting goals. According to some studies, only ten percent of Americans take the time to write out their goals. Of you are a goal setter, you are in the top ten percent of the American population.
Goals are important because they give direction to your life. They give you something to aim at. Something to live for. They are what give legs to dreams. Jim Tenney said, “The primary purpose of goal setting is to pull change in the direction you have chosen—one which fits your expertise and overall plan.”
John R. Noe said, “Losers always concentrate on activities, but high achievers concentrate on planning and making every moment count in their efforts to reach progressively higher goals.” As John Condray writes, happiness, wealth and success are by-products of goal setting, they cannot be the goal themselves.”
As Christian’s it is important that we set goals in life in line with God’s purpose for out lives. Goal setting is a very scriptural principle. The Apostle Paul was a goal setter. In Philippians 3:13 he wrote, “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before, I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
The characteristics of goal setters:
They know what they want to achieve. Goal setters are clear about their purpose, their vision and their objectives. They know exactly what they want to accomplish. They take the time to write out in detail every goal they intend to accomplish.
They are focused on what they want to achieve. High achievers understand the importance of staying focused on their objectives. They realize the necessity of not being distracted form what they are attempting to accomplish. In order to succeed in life you must do what God told the great leader of Israel, Joshua, in Joshua 1:7, “Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left that you may prosper wherever you go.” In other words God was saying don’t allow yourself to be distracted by what’s going on around you. Stay focused on what I’ve called you to do.
They believe they can accomplish what they set out to do. Faith is essential to success in any area of life. The word “faith” has been defined as “The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) I like to say it like this, “It is the inner image of the finished product. It is seeing things as they can be instead of as they presently are.” You must believe that what you want to accomplish, can and will be accomplished. You must also believe in your God-given ability to do it.
They are passionate about what they want to achieve. High achievers either, “Do what they love or love what they do.” You can tell when a person is passionate about what they want. You can hear it in their voice and see it in their eyes. Passion is that thing which consumes you. That thing you think, talk and do all the time. Goal setters get excited when they begin to tell others about what they intend to accomplish.
They act in the face of fear. Goal setters learn to overcome the fears that hold the average person back. In order to succeed one must overcome all fears that limit or hinder them from acting on their goals. The primary way to overcome fear is to face what you are afraid of head on. Take action in spite of the fear and you will see it vanish.
They learn from their life experiences. Goal setters recognize the fact that they don’t always do everything right. They re aware they don’t know everything they need to know about what they are striving to accomplish. Although goal setters make many mistakes and experience many failures along the way, they know that failure isn’t final. High achievers learn from their mistakes as well as their successes and go on.
They possess a never quit mindset. According to B.C. Forbes, “To succeed, we must have the will to succeed, we must have the stamina, determination, backbone, persistence, self-reliance and faith.” The great business tycoon John D. Rockefeller once said, “I do not think there is any quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of persistence. It overcomes almost everything, even nature.” Goal setters have the uncanny ability to not quit, regardless of the pressure to do so. They understand, “The rewards for those who persists, far exceeds the pain that precedes the victory.”
Goals are important because they give direction to your life. They give you something to aim at. Something to live for. They are what give legs to dreams. Jim Tenney said, “The primary purpose of goal setting is to pull change in the direction you have chosen—one which fits your expertise and overall plan.”
John R. Noe said, “Losers always concentrate on activities, but high achievers concentrate on planning and making every moment count in their efforts to reach progressively higher goals.” As John Condray writes, happiness, wealth and success are by-products of goal setting, they cannot be the goal themselves.”
As Christian’s it is important that we set goals in life in line with God’s purpose for out lives. Goal setting is a very scriptural principle. The Apostle Paul was a goal setter. In Philippians 3:13 he wrote, “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before, I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
The characteristics of goal setters:
They know what they want to achieve. Goal setters are clear about their purpose, their vision and their objectives. They know exactly what they want to accomplish. They take the time to write out in detail every goal they intend to accomplish.
They are focused on what they want to achieve. High achievers understand the importance of staying focused on their objectives. They realize the necessity of not being distracted form what they are attempting to accomplish. In order to succeed in life you must do what God told the great leader of Israel, Joshua, in Joshua 1:7, “Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left that you may prosper wherever you go.” In other words God was saying don’t allow yourself to be distracted by what’s going on around you. Stay focused on what I’ve called you to do.
They believe they can accomplish what they set out to do. Faith is essential to success in any area of life. The word “faith” has been defined as “The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) I like to say it like this, “It is the inner image of the finished product. It is seeing things as they can be instead of as they presently are.” You must believe that what you want to accomplish, can and will be accomplished. You must also believe in your God-given ability to do it.
They are passionate about what they want to achieve. High achievers either, “Do what they love or love what they do.” You can tell when a person is passionate about what they want. You can hear it in their voice and see it in their eyes. Passion is that thing which consumes you. That thing you think, talk and do all the time. Goal setters get excited when they begin to tell others about what they intend to accomplish.
They act in the face of fear. Goal setters learn to overcome the fears that hold the average person back. In order to succeed one must overcome all fears that limit or hinder them from acting on their goals. The primary way to overcome fear is to face what you are afraid of head on. Take action in spite of the fear and you will see it vanish.
They learn from their life experiences. Goal setters recognize the fact that they don’t always do everything right. They re aware they don’t know everything they need to know about what they are striving to accomplish. Although goal setters make many mistakes and experience many failures along the way, they know that failure isn’t final. High achievers learn from their mistakes as well as their successes and go on.
They possess a never quit mindset. According to B.C. Forbes, “To succeed, we must have the will to succeed, we must have the stamina, determination, backbone, persistence, self-reliance and faith.” The great business tycoon John D. Rockefeller once said, “I do not think there is any quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of persistence. It overcomes almost everything, even nature.” Goal setters have the uncanny ability to not quit, regardless of the pressure to do so. They understand, “The rewards for those who persists, far exceeds the pain that precedes the victory.”
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
How's Your Aim?
Denis Waitley says, “If you don’t know where you’re going, how are you going to know when you get there.” It is important to have a destination in mind when you leave on a trip or you may end up somewhere you don’t want to be.
Anytime I think about having the right aim in life. I am reminded of the hunter that told his friends he had killed a great buck at 1500 yards. His friends told him it was luck that he hit it. His reply has always stuck with me. He said, “It may have been luck that I hit it. But, it wasn’t luck that I was aiming at it!”
The fact is you can’t hit your target (goals) if you don’t have any or if you aren’t aimed at them. When Nasa sends a spacecraft into outer space they constantly have to make adjustments to the flight plan in order to get it to the destination they want it to go. In other words they have to keep adjusting their aim.
So it is with all of life. If you are going to hit your goals, fulfill your dreams, and live on purpose you must be careful to have the right aim. When you notice you are off line, take the time to refocus. Get your aim straightened out, and you will hit your target.
The Apostle Paul wrote these words, “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13, 14) Several things come to mind when I read this passage.
One, you can’t go forward looking in the rear view mirror! You can’t undo anything in your past. If you are constantly focusing on past failures or mistakes you are sabotaging your present and your future. In order to go forward you must forget the past. Let it go. Someone once said, “Don’t look back unless that’s the direction you want to go!
Two, you’ve got to reach forward to what’s before you. You must become focused on going forward. Of making progress. Of accomplishing what you were created to accomplish. Focus on what is possible not what is impossible. There will always be naysayers and dream stealers that will try to tell you that you can’t do it. Ignore them. Keep reaching!
Three, if you are going to hit your target you have to put forth diligent effort. The word press means to bear down on, to push, to give it your all. Just like a runner in a race you have to strain yourself using all the energy you have to cross the finish line. Success always requires effort on your part. There is no such thing as a free lunch. The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.
Four, without a goal to aim at you will wander through life never maximizing the potential inside you. Goals give us direction, focus, and a reason for getting up in the morning. They keep us on track. They help us to identify the distractions from our objectives and to ignore them.
Five, the prize or reward keeps us motivated to action. People work long hours because of the prize of a paycheck at the end of the week. Athletes put in long hours of training for the prize of winning the game or the championship trophy. When I was attempting to play professional golf I practice 6-8 hours per day to hone my skills and prepare myself for competition. The prize of not only the competition but also the tournament trophies (and potential payday) motivated me to spend the time necessary to do what it took to prepare.
Six, Paul said his prize was the upward call of God. God’s call to us is always an upward call. In other words it is a call to a higher level. It is rising to new levels of success, accomplishment, and productivity. Contrary to what a lot of people think, God desires for you to succeed in life. You were born to win in life. You were born with a purpose to fulfill. You were born to make a positive difference in the world around you. New levels of productivity and success afford you the ability to accomplish great things in the lives of others.
My challenge to you today is to check your aim. Do you have clear goals and objectives that you are presently working towards? Are you stretching your faith, your abilities, and your efforts? Are you being held back by past failures and mistakes? Are you putting forth diligent effort to reach your goals? Do you have a prize you are trying to attain? Do your goals lead you to a higher level and a better life?
Remember what I said earlier, “If you don’t know where you are going you may end up somewhere you don’t want to be!
Denis Waitley says, “If you don’t know where you’re going, how are you going to know when you get there.” It is important to have a destination in mind when you leave on a trip or you may end up somewhere you don’t want to be.
Anytime I think about having the right aim in life. I am reminded of the hunter that told his friends he had killed a great buck at 1500 yards. His friends told him it was luck that he hit it. His reply has always stuck with me. He said, “It may have been luck that I hit it. But, it wasn’t luck that I was aiming at it!”
The fact is you can’t hit your target (goals) if you don’t have any or if you aren’t aimed at them. When Nasa sends a spacecraft into outer space they constantly have to make adjustments to the flight plan in order to get it to the destination they want it to go. In other words they have to keep adjusting their aim.
So it is with all of life. If you are going to hit your goals, fulfill your dreams, and live on purpose you must be careful to have the right aim. When you notice you are off line, take the time to refocus. Get your aim straightened out, and you will hit your target.
The Apostle Paul wrote these words, “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13, 14) Several things come to mind when I read this passage.
One, you can’t go forward looking in the rear view mirror! You can’t undo anything in your past. If you are constantly focusing on past failures or mistakes you are sabotaging your present and your future. In order to go forward you must forget the past. Let it go. Someone once said, “Don’t look back unless that’s the direction you want to go!
Two, you’ve got to reach forward to what’s before you. You must become focused on going forward. Of making progress. Of accomplishing what you were created to accomplish. Focus on what is possible not what is impossible. There will always be naysayers and dream stealers that will try to tell you that you can’t do it. Ignore them. Keep reaching!
Three, if you are going to hit your target you have to put forth diligent effort. The word press means to bear down on, to push, to give it your all. Just like a runner in a race you have to strain yourself using all the energy you have to cross the finish line. Success always requires effort on your part. There is no such thing as a free lunch. The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.
Four, without a goal to aim at you will wander through life never maximizing the potential inside you. Goals give us direction, focus, and a reason for getting up in the morning. They keep us on track. They help us to identify the distractions from our objectives and to ignore them.
Five, the prize or reward keeps us motivated to action. People work long hours because of the prize of a paycheck at the end of the week. Athletes put in long hours of training for the prize of winning the game or the championship trophy. When I was attempting to play professional golf I practice 6-8 hours per day to hone my skills and prepare myself for competition. The prize of not only the competition but also the tournament trophies (and potential payday) motivated me to spend the time necessary to do what it took to prepare.
Six, Paul said his prize was the upward call of God. God’s call to us is always an upward call. In other words it is a call to a higher level. It is rising to new levels of success, accomplishment, and productivity. Contrary to what a lot of people think, God desires for you to succeed in life. You were born to win in life. You were born with a purpose to fulfill. You were born to make a positive difference in the world around you. New levels of productivity and success afford you the ability to accomplish great things in the lives of others.
My challenge to you today is to check your aim. Do you have clear goals and objectives that you are presently working towards? Are you stretching your faith, your abilities, and your efforts? Are you being held back by past failures and mistakes? Are you putting forth diligent effort to reach your goals? Do you have a prize you are trying to attain? Do your goals lead you to a higher level and a better life?
Remember what I said earlier, “If you don’t know where you are going you may end up somewhere you don’t want to be!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Are You Determined?
Nothing is more powerful than a made up mind. In order to achieve greatness, determination is required. Someone once said, “A determined person will do more with a rusty monkey wrench, than a loafer will accomplish with all the tools of a machine shop.”
You win or lose because of your determination or lack thereof. Determined people are able to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to win in life. Malcolm Forbes said, “Your degree of determination determines your outcome.”
Ten things about determined people:
Determined people don’t know how to take the word “no” for an answer. Their philosophy of life is, “Find a way or make one.”
Determined people refuse to quit until they win. Their philosophy of life is “Nothing can stop me or keep me from winning. Victory belongs to me.”
Determined people realize that success comes little by little. Their philosophy is “Inch by inch anything’s a cinch!”
Determined people are not moved by what they see around them. Their philosophy of life is, “We walk by faith not by sight.” They choose to see what can be, instead of what is.
Determined people choose to be positive. Their philosophy of life is, “Positive anything is better than negative nothing!”
Determined people expect a positive outcome. Their philosophy of life is, “You get what you expect.”
Determined people understand the value of goal setting. Their philosophy of life is, "You can’t hit it if you don’t aim at it!”
Determined people believe in the value of planning. Their philosophy of life is, “Plan your work and work your plan.”
Determined people believe that success comes in cans not cannots. Their philosophy of life is, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”
Determined people associate with winners. Their philosophy of life is, “Iron sharpens iron.” They recognize that you become better by being around better people.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Be A Person of Value
Albert Einstein wrote, “Try not to become a man of success, rather try to become a person of value.” In our society many are selling themselves short simply by trying to succeed at any cost. While success is the by-product of vision, goal-setting, planning, action and determination, it should not be your ultimate goal. You must not get caught up in the web of trying to be a success so others will think you are great.
Jesus said, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” Your soul is your mind, your will and your emotions. I have met countless numbers of people in my life who have experienced mental breakdowns, a loss of proper desires and emotional breakdowns because they chased success instead of letting it follow them.
It is startling to finally reach the top of the ladder only to realize it’s leaned against the wrong wall. Your life does not consist of the abundance of things you possess. Malcomb Forbes was asked before he died how much money he was going to leave his heirs. His response was "All of it!" When you die you will not be remembered for what you owned as much as for who you were and what kind of positive difference you made in your world and the lives you came in contact with.
In order to leave a positive lasting legacy you must seek to be a person of character. Seek to live a life based on principles, values, and integrity. Be a person that makes the difference in the lives of others. Live a life that exemplifies the life of Christ in all you do.
Albert Einstein wrote, “Try not to become a man of success, rather try to become a person of value.” In our society many are selling themselves short simply by trying to succeed at any cost. While success is the by-product of vision, goal-setting, planning, action and determination, it should not be your ultimate goal. You must not get caught up in the web of trying to be a success so others will think you are great.
Jesus said, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” Your soul is your mind, your will and your emotions. I have met countless numbers of people in my life who have experienced mental breakdowns, a loss of proper desires and emotional breakdowns because they chased success instead of letting it follow them.
It is startling to finally reach the top of the ladder only to realize it’s leaned against the wrong wall. Your life does not consist of the abundance of things you possess. Malcomb Forbes was asked before he died how much money he was going to leave his heirs. His response was "All of it!" When you die you will not be remembered for what you owned as much as for who you were and what kind of positive difference you made in your world and the lives you came in contact with.
In order to leave a positive lasting legacy you must seek to be a person of character. Seek to live a life based on principles, values, and integrity. Be a person that makes the difference in the lives of others. Live a life that exemplifies the life of Christ in all you do.
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