Making It Real...Setting and Achieving Goals (Even in Wink, TX)

I read a book recently that stated this: "The most successful people have their goals written down, and they review them every single day." For some reason, I just don't believe that. Sure, I think you should write down your goals, give yourself a purpose and something to shoot for, but come on...you're that forgetful that you'd actually have to look at them every single day? I think not.

Scribing your goals to paper does two things: You're making a commitment and you'll be more in tune when opportunities come along that help you achieve your goal. There's no mystery...no fortuitous blessing...no ancient secret passed down through the generations; just good old common sense.

Recently one of my friends in Wink, Texas inquired about 2012. "Is the world really coming to an end?" I'm exhausted with this, and since I'm a preacher's daughter...people assume that I have the in. I responded that it is only the end of the Mayan Calendar, that I'm sure someone in America is brilliant enough to create a calendar that proceeds past Dec. 21, 2012. In fact, I believe the calendar in my kitchen extends to the year 2014...I assured her that we were all safe.

I mentioned the 2012 thing because there are a few people in Wink that I know who are actually buying into the notion that the world will end in 2012. They've cashed in their retirements and are going willy nilly. I asked, "What if it's not the end?" Their response, "Oh, but I have to have faith that it will be the end." It's too bad that they're not willing to have faith in the continuance of life.

I'm going to assign these 2012 doom predictors as toxic people. They're surely negative, expecting the worst to happen...truly fatalistic. As for me...I will continue to push forward with my goals. I made several down here in little ole Wink, TX. I concentrated on two aspects: Physical and Career. My first was to be in the best physical shape of my adult life by the time I turn 40 (that's in about 3 months). My second goal was to figure out what I wanted to pursue a master's in and then get after it.

I'm well on my way to accomplishing both goals. Next time, I'll let you in on the test I've made to prove that these goals were truly mine and worthy. Some of your goals won't pass this test, and that's okay...what that reveals is they weren't your goals...they were expectations that others had of you.