Jim Rohn said “If you want to have more, you have to become more”. Success is not merely a doing process, it is a becoming process. You need to become the type of person that attracts success. 97% percent of the population spends more time each week planning their grocery trip than planning their life (scary). This means that for most people, peas, carrots and ice cream are more important than passion, goals and success. It may surprise you the reason for this has very little to do with desire. Most people want to do more, to have more, and be more but are unable to make the leap. To break that mold, you need to become a “top 3%er”, part of the elite group that focuses their energy on a goal.
In 1899 the greatest archer to ever live was born in Alabama, Howard Hill. Hill was so good that he was never beaten in competition, winning 196 in a row. He could draw, aim and hit the bull’s-eye dead center. Then, with the next arrow split the first. But, what if I told you that by applying the principles I lay out below you could be more accurate and win more tournaments than Howard Hill could ever have? Of course we would have to blind fold Hill and turn him around so he does not know which direction to shoot. I can hear you chuckling and saying “of course he cannot hit a target he cannot see”. How about you- could you hit a target you could not see? How about a target you do not have? Having a goal to go after is essential.
Here are three steps that you can take to make sure you always have a target to shoot for.
1- Don’t just think it- ink it. It’s been said before and may sound cliché but it is true. Goals become more real when they appear on your paper. Recent studies have shown that the simple act of writing a goal down makes it 42% more likely to be completed. More than any other factor, writing influences completion.
2- Dream big, to go big. Play above your level. Napoleon Hill famously quipped that whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve. Do not limit yourself, reach higher. Or, as Norman Vincent Peale stated, “shoot for the moon and even if you miss you will wind up among the stars.
3- Review goals often. I recommend reviewing your goals on a daily basis (or twice daily). Keep them fresh and real and actionable. Go to bed thinking of your dreams and wake up invigorated to accomplish them
As a bonus step- share your goals selectively. You are surrounded by people who will try to tear you down. Not that they consciously want to see you fail, but subconsciously they are jealous of your growth and accomplishments. They want to keep you at their level. I caution you in sharing your goals with those not fully supportive of your efforts.
Following these three (four) simple steps will put you on the right course to becoming a success. Remember to ink your goals, dream big and review often. Watch out- you are on the road to becoming.