7 Keys to Reach Your Goal
August 19, 2017
At 5:30 in the morning, the voice on the other end of the line said, "This isn't going to work."
I've also had moments when I thought things weren't going to work. But, when have we ever reached a goal that we gave up on after the first failed attempt? It is helpful to remember that every person we deem a success encountered failure in some form or fashion. The following list includes inspiration from the failures of well-known winners.
1. Remember, not all opinions about you are true.
- Walt Disney's editor fired him because he thought he "lacked imagination and had no good ideas."
- Oprah Winfrey was fired from her job as a reporter because she was "unfit for television."
- Thomas Eidson's teachers thought he was "too stupid to learn anything."
- Someone told Marilyn Monroe she should give up on modeling and become a secretary.
2. Trust your potential to bloom.
A viable seed when provided the right conditions will bloom.
Albert Einstein seemed developmentally delayed because his mind worked outside the norm. He did not speak until he was four and did not read until he was seven. Some people and plants are inherently late-bloomers. C.S. Lewis encouraged, "You are never too old to set new a new goal or dream a new dream."
Albert Einstein seemed developmentally delayed because his mind worked outside the norm. He did not speak until he was four and did not read until he was seven. Some people and plants are inherently late-bloomers. C.S. Lewis encouraged, "You are never too old to set new a new goal or dream a new dream."
3. Practice, practice, practice.
No one is born with the ability to walk. We learn to roll over, sit up, crawl, and stand before we learn to walk. It's incredible that those tiny feet, chunky legs, and chubby bellies can form any kind of upright forward movement. We stand and fall many times before taking off. Excellence takes time. Even Serena Williams practiced--8 hours per day.
4. Accept setbacks and move on.
- Dr. Seuss was rejected by 27 publishers.
- Colonel Sander's recipe was rejected 1,009 times before a restaurant accepted it.
-Van Gogh sold only one painting at the end of his life. Imagine, he never knew the fame his work would receive beyond his lifetime.
5. Never give up.
"Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense." ~ Winston Churchill
- Before becoming Prime Minister, Winston Churchhill lost every election for public office--he was 62 before he finally won.
- Persistence pays. Edison had 1,000 failed attempts at creating the light bulb.
- The inventor of Dyson vacuum cleaners created 5,126 prototypes before he succeeded.
6. Think outside the box.
There is a belief in the field of behavioral health that one definition of mental illness is doing things the same way, getting the same result, and continuing to do it the same way over and over with the hope of a different result. Stand back from the problem and consider alternate solutions.
A truck was stuck under an overpass because it exceeded the maximum height. Adults were scratching their heads, "What to do?!" Finally, a young boy spoke up. "Maybe you should let some of the air out of the tires."
Sometimes it takes only one small tweak.
7. Follow redirection when it leads you to an alternate success.
When we don't succeed in one area we might discover within ourselves something far greater than the original pursuit. Vera Wang failed to make the Olympic figure-stating team, and then after going to work with Vogue, she was passed by for the editor-in-chief position. Instead of becoming editor-in-chief, she developed into one of the most renowned fashion designers of our time.
Goals are subject to change. My father shared practical advice about his lot in later life, "This is where we need to be at this point in our life." It helps to have more than one vision of a goal. It also helps to understand what is driving your goal, e.g. the desire to nurture, the desire to create, or a simple desire for companionship. Desire can be fulfilled in different ways.
The voice on the other end of the line at 5:30 in the morning? My mother. She made it through surgery, but was disappointed to land in inpatient rehab rather than the comfort of her own home. I understand. We now have our sights set on new goals. In recent years when asked how she is doing, her response frequently is, "It's a choice."
Whether you stay the course or change course, know your strength, do your best, and don't look back. It's a choice.
~LowTide explorer, Carolyn Fjeran
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