“Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: now.
-Denis Waitley
This quote by Waitley couldn’t be any truer. What we have done in our past greatly influences our thoughts and actions of today. Our past experiences set the tone for how our future will shaped.
If you want to achieve anything great in this lifetime, you have to set vividly defined goals NOW. There is a story about setting goals that was carried out among Yale’s 1953 graduating seniors and it goes like this: In 1953, researchers surveyed Yale’s graduating seniors to determine how many of them had specific, written goals for their future. The answer: Only 3%. Twenty years later, researchers analyzed members of the Class of 1953 and found that the 3% with goals had accumulated more personal financial wealth than the other 97% of the class combined!
Maybe this was just a coincidence and those 3% just happened to be guys who founded billion dollar companies, but the point of the story is clear. In order to achieve great wealth, you must set goals. I’m not talking about goals like: I want to own a house and have 2 nice cars in the garage. Or I want to get a good paying job that requires me to work 60 hours a week. I’m talking about the goal to own a 110′ yacht and 5,000 acres somewhere. Or better yet, have a goal to start your own city or country. However, big goals such as those are not capable if you do not have the vision and motivation to get there. You must have a clear and detailed process on how you will succeed at reaching those goals.
As much as you dwell about the past and dream about the future, you have to make sure you are living in the only moment of time which you have any control over — NOW. There is no need to stress about upcoming meetings or deadlines because they are coming up no matter what. Every one of us have the same 24 hours in a day. Make them count.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
-Matthew 6:34
Jesus makes this clear. Don’t worry about tomorrow, focus on the day at hand.
And just remember, the actions you take today will create the world you will live in tomorrow.
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P.S. The picture above is from my honeymoon in Bora Bora. That is my personal example of a small goal achieved. I saw a picture of that island 15+ years ago but didn’t know where it was. I vowed I would find out and hike to the top. While I hiked to the near top, our guide informed me of the numerous people who have died trying to scale the mountain. My new wife wouldn’t let me… Fair enough! But I was still disappointed I didn’t make it to the top that time. Next time I’ll swing in with a helicopter 😉
