Don’t Quit

Goal setting is a continuous process and now that you have some goals or dusted off some forgotten ones, it’s time to start creating enough runway to get these goals off the ground.  I’m talking about execution by taking the small steps and a few easy wins to get the momentum up.   Come around the end of February, goals start to lose their shine because we get busy doing other things.  As John Lennon once said:

“Life is What Happens To You While You’re Busy Making Other Plans.”  

The Poem below is something I found in a Dominick’s Food Store Newsletter where I was working during my freshman year in college.   As you can see, it’s the original and getting tattered, and torn and has a nice 40+ year patina.  At one time it had the author’s name on the lower right-hand corner, Ziegler.  I’ve kept this with me over the years and now and then, when I get stuck, I pull it out and to read it.   When the internet became popular, I found a few different versions of it.  I like this one the best.

What does this have to do with goals, planning, and execution?  It’s a piece of “history” that will help you get back on track when you come across some bumps in the road or lose your focus.  It has a great line about giving you permission to take a rest and then get back to it.   Print it out or take a photo of it and keep it handy.  It can help provide a different perspective without losing sight of the runway.

Bottom Line: It’s the last two lines of this poem.

How To Define Your Success: Back To Basics

Definitions for success can be listed from here and to “infinity and beyond” because everyone has their interpretation of success.  These interpretations are usually formulated by what one hears, sees on TV, reads on the internet, or by emulating people whom one admires.  Of all the things and meanings that one attributes to success, everyone can ultimately agree that success is not an endpoint, it’s a process.  Where everyone splits off in every direction is how success is measured. Jack Welch stated it best when he said, “You get what you measure”. That’s a great quote and it’s also a guideline to keep you honest and focused on the goal. It’s not all about achieving the goal, it’s about what you become striving to achieve the goal.  Along the way, you measure milestones to keep yourself on track.

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