Have you ever noticed that
ships operate essentially the
same way people ought to,
but so few do? Maybe you've never
given it much thought, but at any
given moment, a ship has a direction
and a destination. That is, either she's
sailing to a predetermined port of call,
or she's in port, getting ready to sail to
another one. You can ask the captain
of any big, far-sailing ship where
they're going, and they can tell you
instantly – and in one sentence.
How many people do you know
who can do the same thing? It seems
that most people want too many different
things – or at leasy they think
they want them – they're unable to
focus their efforts, their minds, and
their hearts on anything specific. And
all this leads to is doubt and confusion.
They're like the guy who
jumped on a horse and rode off in all
directions at once. They don't recognize
how vital it is to pick one port
that's important, then sail to it, rest
and refit for a little while, and then
sail to another port. In this way, in not
so many years, a person can set and
reach their goals, one by one, until
finally they have a tremendous pile of
accomplishments in which to take
pride – they have all the things they
want, just because they had the sense
enough to realize they could do well
with only one thing at a time.
There's another analogy that fits
here, and maybe it makes the most
important point of all. If a ship tied to
a dock for some reason had no place to
go, she would stay there until she fell
apart from rust and disuse. A ship's
engine isn't started until she has some
place to go. Here again, it's the same
with people. This is why it's so important
that each of us has a port of call we
want to reach – a goal – a place to get
to where we feel will be better than the
place in which we now find ourselves.
If we don't, we might never cast off.
We might never start our engines and
know the thrill of sailing a charted
course to a place we can't see for fully
99 percent of the journey. But we know
it's there, and we know that if we keep
sailing toward it, we'll reach it.
If someone came up to you today
and asked you what your next port of
call is – that is, where you are going – could you answer him in one sentence,
as could the captain on the
bridge of their ship? If not, maybe
you'd like to give that some thought.
A clinical Associate Professor of
Psychiatry, Dr. Ari Kiev writes, "In my
practice as a psychiatrist, I have found
that helping people to develop personal
goals has proven to be the most
effective way to help them cope with
problems. Observing the lives of people
who have mastered adversity, I
have noticed," he writes, "that they
have established goals and sought
with all their effort to achieve them.
From the moment they decided to
concentrate all their energies on a specific
objective, they began to surmount
the most difficult odds."
So writes Dr. Kiev in his book, A
Strategy for Daily Living, "The establishment
of a goal is the key to successful
living. And the most important
step toward achieving an objective
is first to define it." I'm sure you
have at least 30 minutes a day in
which to list your thoughts about possible
goals. Set aside such a period
each day for a month. At the end of
the time, choose from the possible
objectives you have listed, the one
that seems most important, and
record it separately on a single card.
Carry this card with you at all times.
Think about this objective every day.
Create concrete
mental images of
the goal, as if you've
already accomplished
it.
The doctor points
out, "You can determine
your special
talents or strengths
in a number of ways,
ranging from psychological tests to any
analysis of the unexpressed wishes in
your dreams. No one method works for
everyone." You might start, for example,
by clipping and saving magazine
and newspaper articles that interest
you for 30 days. After which, look for
the pervasive trend or trends suggestive
of your deep-seated interests and
natural strengths. Whenever you discover
a strength or talent, think of five
possible ways to develop it. Write
these strengths down on your card as
well, and check it periodically to keep
them fresh in your mind.
If possible, have your card laminated
and place it on your bathroom mirror
so that it is the first and last thoughts of
your day. Then focus your day's energy
on this goal and on activities that utilize
these natural strengths.
Dr. Kiev continues, "Focus on one
objective at a time.
Like a microchip,
the brain, set on a
target, will call into
play those mental
processes that will
bring your efforts to
fruition. Your
actions will conform
to your expectations,
thereby bringing about the
event. If you believe that you will
reach your objective, you will continue
to work at a task until you have
accomplished it."
So, take the advice of the psychiatrist
Dr. Ari Kiev and don't be afraid of
failure. As Herodotus wrote, "It is better
by noble boldness to run the risk of
being subject to half of the evils we
anticipate than to remain in cowardly
listlessness for fear of what may happen."
Sit down and make a list of everything
you want in life. When you do
this, you will make some surprising
discoveries. You might find that you
have already managed to get many of
the things you have wanted seriously.
Or, if you don't have most or all of
them, chances are you are now in the
process of getting them.If your list contains some items
you want very much but do not have,
you might ask yourself why you have
failed to get them. Chances are that
you have not tried very hard. Or perhaps
you felt, for one reason or
another, that these things are completely
beyond your ability to
achieve. These wants make very
worthwhile goals.
It's a good idea to have two lists of
things you want. The first list would
include those bigger goals that relate
to your career or the overall good of
your life or your family. These might
include the position and/or income
you are working toward, perhaps a
higher educational degree, a certain
amount of money in savings, a goal
of height of business success, or that
beautiful home you have had your
eye on.
The other list could be a fun list. It
might include the car you want for no
good reason except it's the car you
happen to want, redecorating your
house, getting new furniture, traveling
to some special place — perhaps
abroad — or buying a new wardrobe.
This is a list of things you want just
because you want them.
You should have long-range goals.
These should be on your number one
list, and each of them should be numbered
in the order of importance to you.
These are goals that might take five years
or longer to achieve. They're extremely
worthwhile, and you should be working
toward them daily. These are the goals
that give meaning and direction and
substance to your life.
But you also need short-range
goals. These are the goals that add
zest and interest to your life and break
up the monotony of the long haul for
the long-range goals.
If you're honest with yourself about
the things you want – not idle wishes
that change from day to day but things
you are serious about – you'll find
that they all can be yours, and in a
surprisingly short time, if they are
taken one at a time.
It's been said, "People can have anything
they want. The trouble is that
they don't know what they want." Get
off by yourself for a quiet hour or two,
and make up your card and your two
lists. It is a fun and rewarding exercise
and will prove to be the first step
toward living the life you most desire.
Source: Earl Nightingale's The
Essence of Success, edited by
Carson V. Conant.
The great historical
philosophers, teachers and
prophets all agreed...
- "You become what you
think about"
– Earl Nightingale
- "A man's life is what his
thoughts make of it."
– Emperor Marcus Aurelius
- "A man is what he thinks
about all day long."
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
- "If thou canst believe, all
things are possible to him
that believeth."
– Bible, Mark 9:23
Do you appreciate the life you have fashioned for yourself?
When was the last time you assessed your long-term goals?
Are you prepared to create new goals after you have
accomplished your current goals?
A man hunting tigers in India was suddenly surprised by a
huge Bengal tiger – it was almost on top of him. The man raised
his rifle and fired, but he overshot and missed. The tiger, frightened
by the man and thrown off stride by the noise of the gun,
leaped toward the hunter but the leap was too wide, and he
missed his prey.
The man returned to camp and spent several hours perfecting
his aim for short distances and quick firing. On the following day,
he again stalked the tiger. Finally, he spotted the beast at some
distance – practicing short leaps.
What are your goals?
