Are
goals important? Well, I'll let you be the judge. Several years
ago, a study by UCLA School of Medicine was conducted at a series
of seminars I was conducting. The audience was divided into two
groups: those who set goals and developed a plan of action to reach
them, and those who took no specific action to reach their goals.
Results: The goal setters earned an average of $7,401 each month.
The non-action group earned an average of $3,397 each month. Not
surprisingly, the action group tended to be more enthusiastic, more
satisfied with life and work, happier in marriage, and their overall
health was better. As the experts stated in the study findings,
"These results also confirm the academic literature on goals
that, over the past 20 years, has shown unequivocally that those
who set goals perform better in a variety of tasks." Some may
shy away from setting goals because the obstacles are too big. Let
me encourage you to not let you stand in your way!
He got better, not bitter
One of my favorite people, and certainly one of America's finest
communicators, is Neal Jeffrey. Neal, as quarterback, led the Baylor
Bears football team to the Southwest Conference Championship in
1974. Today, he addresses many youth groups as well as adult business
people. He is truly one of the most humorous, sincere and capable
speakers I've ever heard. The interesting thing is that Neal is
a stutterer. He has, however, chosen to make stuttering an asset,
not a problem.
Now think about what you just read. A very successful quarterback
and public speaker who stutters doesn't compute in the minds of
most people. Neal Jeffrey has taken a negative and turned it into
a positive. After speaking a few minutes, he tells audiences that
in case they hadn't noticed, he stutters. Then with a big smile,
he says, "Sometimes I do get hung up a little bit. But don't
worry, I guarantee you something's coming!" The audience invariably
responds enthusiastically.
Neal is the classic example of an outstanding individual who chose
to make an "obstacle" an asset. The "obstacle"
has forced Neal to be more creative and to do more reading, research
and studying so he can most effectively turn that "liability"
into an asset. Result: He got better, not bitter. He's better not
in spite of his stutter, but because of his stutter. Neal has reached
and is reaching goal after goal in all areas of his life. I believe
that you can do the same thing.
The reality is that all of us have liabilities which can hold us
back or propel us forward. In most cases, the choice is ours. So,
take your "obstacles" or "liabilities," recognize
and evaluate them, and then find a way to turn them into assets.
Set your goals high and then go about reaching them.
K.I.S.S.
When I started my sales career, one of the first things we were
taught was to "
Keep
It
Simple, Salesman."
Communicate in such a way that your message is unmistakably clear.
If the message is not clear, the prospect ends up confused and confused
people seldom take action.
This advice can be followed in any field of endeavor. For example,
in marathon running today we utilize sports psychologists, computerized
training regimens, and running shoes that are "state-of-the-art."
Perhaps all of that is necessary if you want to win the big race.
I'm not denying that these things help, but Toshihiko Seko didn't
need them to win the Boston Marathon.
I was tremendously impressed when Toshihiko Seko won the Boston
Marathon. His training program was simplicity itself and Toshihiko
explained it with twelve words: "I run ten kilometers in the
morning and twenty in the evening." At this point you probably
think, "There's a catch!" But this plan enabled him to
outrun the world's greatest, fastest, most gifted runners. When
Seko was told that his plan seemed too simple compared to that of
other marathoners, he replied, "The plan is simple, but I do
it every single day, 365 days a year."
It is my conviction that most people fail to reach their goals not
because their plans are too simple or too complicated. Most people
don't reach their goals because they're not committed and willing
to follow their own plans.
Many of our goals do not require detailed plans, but all of them
require that we must follow the plan we have. Seko's plan was effective
because he followed it every day. You can't get more simple than
that! Follow Seko's example, make certain your plan to reach your
goal is simple and then get busy taking the action steps.
Does talent always prevail?
Champions invariably have fervent philosophical beliefs. Philosophy,
in its simplest terms, means "the love of wisdom." Peter
Vidmar is a lover of wisdom. His philosophy is "There is always
fear. The trick is not to eliminate it, but to overcome it."
As a youngster in Los Angeles, Peter grew up loving sports but feeling
very frustrated because of his small size. He said it was hard for
him to be an asset to a team because of his size and, in reality,
he felt more like a liability. When he was eleven years old, Peter
wisely decided to pursue a career in gymnastics where his small
size was not a negative. As a matter of fact, based on who had been
winning the gold medals, small people had some advantages.
Peter was inspired by watching video tapes and television spots
of Olga Korbut and Nadia Comaneci. He became convinced that if they
could succeed, so could he. He worked very hard in gymnastics throughout
high school and won a scholarship to U.C.L.A. At one point Peter
was the top-ranking American in world class gymnastic competition.
He captured the prestigious America Cup with an incredible 59 out
of 60 points in six events, which was the highest American score
ever.
Peter's coach made a strong - and to some people, surprising - statement
to People Magazine when he said that "Peter is not particularly
talented. I've had boys who were more gifted physically, with more
kinetic awareness, strength and flexibility. But Peter surpassed
them all because of his singular determination." Peter was
so determined, his coach recalls, that he practiced one move for
four years before he could successfully perform it.
Message: Whatever your goal, if you have singular determination
and persistently press towards your objective, your chances of succeeding
go up dramatically. Easy? No. Worth it? Yes. I believe that if you'll
go after your goal with the determination and commitment of a Peter
Vidmar, you can accomplish all that you set before you.
It's never too late to set goals, to dream, to learn, or to change.
Unfortunately, many people come up with excuses for not reaching
their goals. They don't live in the right place, are too old or
too young, or a host of other excuses. I'm not saying that it's
going to be easy because life is tough, but it can be rewarding!
It's true that you can't stop the calendar or turn back the clock,
but you can still dream, set those positive goals, and use your
unique abilities. Buy into that idea and I'll see you at the top!
Zig Ziglar
is known as America's motivator. He is the author of 29
books and numerous audio
and video
recordings. He brings his message of hope to thousands on the stages
at the Get Motivated Seminars.
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