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In Lesson One, You Will Learn:You can change your life now by becoming a person of action, an Action Principles Champion. You possess the power to change. Begin right now! This is your life. We are all like the sculptor’s stone and resistant to change. You are the sculptor. You must chip away at what you don’t like. Only you can pick up that hammer and chisel and do it. Only you can reach that best you that lies within the stone. Start chipping. Start making the right choices for yourself. Bishop Fulton J. Sheen said this, "Character is like chiseling a statue; one has to knock off huge hunks of selfishness, which requires self-discipline. Only then does character begin to emerge." Most people will never take this course. Most people who take this course will never take the actions recommended. Why will you succeed? Simple. You will be the exception. Napoleon Hill, one of the great motivational writers of the 20th Century, was asked what percentage of the many of the millions of people who read his classic, Think and Grow Rich, actually became rich. Hill candidly answered, "I’d say about one percent because only about one percent will ever take the actions recommended." Why will you succeed? Simple. By taking this course and reading the motivational classics and taking the actions recommended, you will be a part of that elite one percent. You have already started. Keep going. Keep reading your Action Principles and ACT! William James the 19th Century American philosopher noted what is still true today. "Compared with what we ought to be, we are only half awake. We are making use of only a small part of our physical and mental resources. Stating the thing broadly, the human individual thus lives far within his limits. He possesses powers of various sorts, which he habitually fails to use." This is not about your mother, father, spouse, partner, sister, brother, neighbor, co-worker, friend or anyone else. The well-meaning advice of others can only serve as a catalyst for you to make your own decisions. It is about what you want and what you are willing to do to get what you want. The American author Robert Louis Stevenson is quoted as saying, "To know what you prefer instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you that you ought to prefer, is to have kept your soul alive." American Professor Leo Buscaglia shared the same sentiments when he said, "The easiest thing to be in the world is you. The most difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. Don’t let them put you in that position." Have you got what it takes? Will you persevere when the going gets a little tough? Are you going to whine, whimper, complain and feel sorry for yourself when you see a few obstacles? Will you give up and settle for less than your best? Don’t worry; you can never overachieve because you have unlimited potential. Vaclav Havel, President of the Czech republic, teaches "We must not be afraid of dreaming the seemingly impossible — if we want the seemingly impossible to become a reality." You don’t expect success to come easily. It’s not easy that you’re after. You simply want the chance to prove all that you can do. You’ll do the work necessary to turn possibility to probability. You will feel inspired and passionate. Your life will have purpose. Two hundred years ago, the American novelist Washington Irving wrote, "Great minds have purposes; others simply have wishes." You will feel happy and full of joy as a missionary fulfilling your God-given potential. Stop daydreaming. Stop being lazy. Stop looking for the easy way. Stop looking for excuses. The American statesman Benjamin Franklin said, "He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else." Stop comparing yourself to less ambitious people around you. Stop asking if you can do it and start doing it. Live with a can-do spirit. You can own the best landscaping business in town. You can be a successful lawyer. You can be a poet. You can run the marathon. You can earn an advanced college degree. You can be a black belt in the martial arts. Read. Join. Network. Volunteer. Intern. There is nothing that you want to do that hasn’t been done before. Research. Find the people who have done or are doing what you want to do. Talk to them. Model yourself after them. Begin.
What do you want from your life? How will you define personal success? Put into writing your goals and plans. Go to your Action Principles for inspiration. Also, consider the following list of characteristics which define the style and attitudes of most successful people. They are Americans. They are Germans. They are Moroccans. They are Japanese. They are from everywhere. They have always existed. If necessary, make adjustments to suit your local conditions. Open you eyes to the successful people around you and do what they are doing. Simply reading these next few pages won’t do very much for you. You must follow-up with action. The painter Vincent Van Gogh believed in action, "If you hear a voice within you saying, "You are not a painter," then by all means paint … and that voice will be silenced." 2. You prioritize. You figure out what are the most productive things to do and you do them. You do them even if they are difficult. You are results oriented. You are an effective time manager. You seek balance among body, mind and spirit. You don’t automatically say "Yes" to everyone and everything. The Portuguese have a saying, "Think of many things — do one." 3. You are self-reliant. Your self-image is one of confidence based on capability. You believe in your abilities. You know that the overwhelming number of problems have solutions. You are a person of conviction. You don’t look for others to do your work for you. You know that you are better off challenging yourself rather than competing with others. You are motivated. You are passionate about your glorious future. You are a self-starter. You are prepared to endure. You aren’t paralyzed by a fear of criticism, rejection or failure. You aren’t afraid to promote your own interests. Martial artist and TV star Chuck Norris said, "Always remember that your success begins inside you: If you can’t see it first, no one else ever will." 4. You are understanding and tolerant. You work to remove hate, anger, impatience, selfishness, ignorance, laziness, envy, vindictiveness and negative thinking from your life. You work to free yourself of personal prejudices. You respect the rights of others. You realize that every fight isn’t your fight. You can’t waste your time thinking that you are better than others. You are quick to forget the mistakes and omissions of others. You work to promote and build bridges of understanding. One hundred years ago, the American Orator and three-time Presidential Candidate, William Jennings Bryan preached, "Never be afraid to stand with the minority when the minority is right, for the minority that is right will one day be the majority. Always be afraid to stand with the majority that is wrong, for the majority that is wrong will one day be the minority." 5. You are tough. You face challenges. By accepting and working through these challenges, you become ever stronger. You understand this German proverb, "Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is." You don’t give in to pressure. You don’t pretend that everything is great when it isn’t. As you learn and build, you aren’t afraid to look foolish. You don’t lie to yourself or anyone else. You are prepared to do the work and make the sacrifices necessary to get a good education, to make enough money, to get and stay fit, to be a responsible child or parent and to lead a spiritual life. Your commitment to a high moral code is apparent. You aren’t looking for excuses. The odds don’t frighten you. The French writer, Anais Nin, wrote, "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage." You aren’t afraid of arguments that are counter to your own. You are accustomed to doing jobs that others won’t. When necessary, you can exercise reason, patience and restraint. You accept that life can be unfair. You have doubts, apprehensions and fears but you proceed anyway. Few could be considered tougher than Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa, who said "The secret to success is to learn to accept the impossible, to do without the indispensable, and bear the intolerable." 6. You set the example. Your children and employees don’t have to wonder how to act; they only have to watch you. You are willing to take the lead and become a role model. Your word means something. You don’t seek perfection. You seek to do your personal best. You walk the talk. You take responsibility. You are diligent, consistent and dependable. You show persistence. You finish what you start. You become a luminary attracting and guiding others. Your positive example gives you influence and power to do good. Former American Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said, "The task of a leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been." Kissinger also reminds us, "The history of things that didn’t happen has never been written." 7. You maintain a positive mental attitude. You know that you will have a great future because you will create it. You take pride in the small changes that you know will eventually lead to significant achievements. You realistically accept life’s annoyances and problems but you choose to deal with them with a positive, solution-oriented mindset. You control your attitude. You listen to your conscience. You know that there are no guarantees but you proceed anyway. Your life means what you say it means. You enjoy and learn from motivational books, tapes and videos. You trust yourself. You don’t allow your doubts to destroy your dreams. You like the challenge of improving yourself and learning new things. You greet each new day energized. Ghandi taught, "If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it, even if I did not have the ability in the beginning." The Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw said, " One man that has a mind and knows it can will always beat 10 men who haven’t and don’t." 8. You use affirmations. You stay motivated by motivating yourself. You adopt the positive habit of repeating affirmations. You write positive statements on cards and repeat them. You choose only those affirmations in which you deeply believe. Do it now. Copy success. Constantly improve. Help others. Who dares wins. Avoid pain and seek happiness. Invest today for tomorrow. Have the attitude of gratitude. You can become all that you are willing to affirm. 9. You submit to a higher power. You build your life upon your faith. You cherish your faith. You aren’t afraid to tell others of your beliefs. You stand for positive values. You are ethical in your dealings. You pray and meditate to have the courage to face your fears. You pray and meditate to have the strength to accept, endure and triumph over the hardships that the path to success will present. You cultivate the good that you find in the world. Noted psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl wrote, "A weak faith is weakened by predicaments and catastrophes, whereas a strong faith is strengthened by them." 10. You want to help others. You see the best in yourself and in others. You instill confidence. You want to help others achieve their goals. You reject self-centeredness. You don’t wait for someone else to help. You take action. Start the ball rolling; lead and others may follow. You work hard to foster positive alliances. You accept that those people most in need of your help may be least able to thank you. American educator and reformer, Booker T. Washington said, "I think I began learning that those who are happiest are those who do the most for others." The civil rights leader, the Rev. Martin Luther King, said, "Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?" Barbara Walters, the American TV Commentator adds, "To excel is to reach your own highest dreams. But you must also help others when you can, to reach theirs. Personal gain is empty if you do not feel you have positively touched another’s life." 11. You seek the support of others. Walt Disney said, "All you’ve got to do is open up to your own ignorance honestly, and you’ll find people who are eager to fill your head with information." As you help others, you aren’t too proud to ask for help yourself. As strong as you are individually, you realize that you aren’t alone. Being a loving person, many people will love you. Being an inquisitive person, many people will want to help you. Being a nice person, many people will want to work for you and be your friend. Being a religious person, you have your faith in God. American Statesman Benjamin Franklin noted, "He who won’t be counseled can’t be helped." 12. You are decisive. Plato said, "The beginning is the most important part of the work." You do it first. You don’t procrastinate. You aren’t complacent sitting around waiting for "it" to happen. Unless you take action, nothing happens. When something is wrong and it’s your business, you take action to make it right. You concentrate and are focused. You understand the old proverb, "If you chase two rabbits, you catch none." If you want to learn how to do something, begin. You aren’t looking for people to validate all of your excuses. You review the facts. You consider your options. You are flexible, versatile and ready to adapt as needed. You choose the best option and you don’t look back. You have self-confidence. You do what must be done. You are bold. You accept the risks of change. You don’t look for excuses or to place blame. You are forthright and give it to them straight. American President Theodore Roosevelt said, "In a moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing to do. The worst thing you can do is nothing." The American civil rights leader Martin Luther King taught, "Courage faces fear and thereby masters it." American industrialist Lee Iacocca wrote, "If I had to sum up in one word what makes a good manager, I’d say decisiveness. You can use the fanciest computers to gather the numbers, but in the end you have to set a timetable and act." 13. You are imitative. You look for positive role models to emulate. These are people who exhibit the character traits that you admire such as being: honest, calm, brave, friendly, generous, fair, funny, charming, forgiving, patient, intelligent, enthusiastic and competent. 14. You are inquisitive. There is an African proverb that goes, "Not to know is bad. Not to want to know is worse." You can learn anything that you want to learn. You seek advice. You listen. You are interested in many aspects of life and you want to learn more. You keep an open mind. Life becomes a wonderful discovery. You see new opportunities as new chances to learn. It would take a long time before you’d want to say that something is impossible to do. Classes, courses, seminars, speeches, websites, books, videos, audiocassettes and magazines all present opportunities for you to learn. You understand that the smart can defeat the strong. Keep questioning. You do not fear the truth. You aren’t afraid to say, "I don’t know." As 19th Century British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli noted, "The fool wonders, the wise man asks." The Roman Writer Publilius Syrus voiced this same sentiment, "Many receive advice. Only the wise profit from it." He also said, "From the errors of others a wise man corrects his own." 15. You admit your fears and weaknesses. No one is perfect and no one is truly fearless. You are capable of being self-critical. You are teachable. When you can honestly admit your shortcomings to yourself, you are at least half the way to controlling or compensating for them. You face your fears and, in doing so, you build your character. You know that to lead a full life you must take some risks. You aren’t afraid to say, "I’m sorry. I was wrong." T.S. Eliot observed, "Half the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important." 16. You learn from your mistakes. You know that the difference between successful people and others is not whether you make mistakes but how you respond to them. You know that never making a mistake is a mistake. You don’t sulk because things didn’t go your way. You figure out what happened and what you could have done differently. You develop new strategies. You write a new plan and you try again. When you find a better way to do something, you do it. You remember past victories. You know that mistakes are not permanent. You rise above your mistakes. Winston Churchill wasn’t afraid to admit, "Eating my words has never given me indigestion." 17. You seek high standards. You find your personal best and work to this level. You pride yourself on your integrity, honesty and love of justice. You appreciate that lying only leads to more lying. Everyone who meets and deals with you benefits from your commitment to being your best. You do not waiver from your principles and core values. Although blind and deaf, American writer Helen Keller was able to inspire with, "Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose." 18. You are nice to be around. You like people. You are patient and listen. You smile. You are gentle and sympathetic. You are open to reasonable compromise. You are supportive and dependable. You respect others. You are not imposing. You compliment good work and effort. You have a good sense of humor. You are congenial, gracious, outgoing, polite and well mannered. You express gratitude for nice things done for you. You help without question or complaint. You wish others well. What goes around, comes around. You are passionate and exciting. You are cheerful and happy. The Japanese would say, "One kind word can warm three winter months." Here is grandfatherly advice, "It’s nice to be nice." How different are you when you follow the Action Principles? You smile, listen, call, share, volunteer, write and e-mail. You are kind, generous, modest, truthful, and courteous. When others tell of their accomplishments, you listen and applaud their efforts. You don’t try to top their stories with your stories. From these simple daily actions emanate the power to live your life being needed, being wanted and making a difference. Small efforts placed well and placed often reap large rewards. If you want charisma, this is charisma. Your unselfish self-assurance will make you the frequent center of positive attention. For yourself, you are beginning to find a personal contentment in which you want less for yourself and more for others.
Don’t let statistics get you down. Make the numbers work for you. Let’s say that you would love to start your own business but you’ve heard repeatedly that most small businesses fail. That’s true. But what you don’t hear so often is that most of those failures are first time efforts. Henry Ford, the American Industrialist who started the Ford Motor Company, taught his workers, "Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently." Second business attempts succeed far more often. The first time you’re a rookie. The second time you’re an experienced, battle hardened veteran. If you keep trying and keep learning, you put the odds for success in your favor. American Inventor Thomas Edison said, "Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." Most people don’t find it easy to move beyond life’s setbacks, big or small. They get a little bruised and they rush to unburden themselves on a sympathetic audience. Of course, the selected audience is very likely to be empathetic and justify the decision to stop or quit. Any excuse can be offered except personal responsibility. That is how too many people react when their days, their years, their lives don’t go their way. It should not be how you react. You are self-reliant. You are tough. Consider the words of the 17th century French moralist Francois de la Rochefoucauld, "Nothing is impossible; there are ways that lead to everything, and if we had sufficient will we should always have sufficient means. It is often merely for an excuse that we say things are impossible." Athletics teach this lesson. You are on a team and you lose a game. You may feel bad but you can’t dwell on your unhappiness because you may have another game in a few days. You have to put the past away and get ready to do your best in the next game. Championship teams function with this perspective. The Nineteenth Century American Novelist, Herman Melville, said, "What I’ve dared, I’ve willed; and what I’ve willed, I’ll do." On the journey, as you risk, dare and challenge, you will make mistakes and you may even lose a battle or two. You won’t wallow in self-pity. You won’t look for the nearest shoulder to cry on. You will accept the disappointment. What happened? What can you do differently the next time? Try again. You really only fail when you say that you have failed. It’s only over when you quit. A screenwriter once said that at any given time there are thousands of unsold movie scripts circulating around Hollywood. Your odds of success having your one script being accepted aren’t very good. However, your odds for success skyrocket if you just write a second script. Here’s the reason. It is very hard to sell a script if you don’t have an agent representing you and agents don’t want to represent you if you are a one shot wonder. However, if you show up with two, three or four scripts and they are well written you have a good chance of getting an agent and then getting your scripts read and sold. What both these examples show is that the things you often hear about starting a business or selling a script or other things present a distorted picture. And the picture is distorted by the fact that most people are not persistent. They try starting one business and when it doesn’t immediately succeed, they never try again. Or they write just one script and then when they can’t sign on with an agent they end up giving up. Too many people quit on their dreams too soon. This will not be you. You will persist. American President Calvin Coolidge believed this, "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."
Before becoming president, American President Abe Lincoln failed at two businesses and lost six elections. 1000 banks turned down Walt Disney when he was trying to finance Disneyland. Mary Kay Ash, a woman billionaire, sold less than $2.00 worth of cosmetics at her first beauty show. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Here is what Michael Jordan said, "When I got cut from the varsity team as a sophomore in high school, I learned something. I knew I never wanted to feel that bad again. I never wanted to have that taste in my mouth, that hole in my stomach. So I set a goal of becoming a starter on the varsity." Bill McGowan fought the AT&T monopoly for ten years before making MCI successful. Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield were rejected 32 times before finding a publisher for Chicken Soup For The Soul. Sylvester Stallone, the American actor, was turned down time and time again when he was trying to produce his classic movie, Rocky. Louisa May Alcott, an American author who wrote Little Women, was told by an editor that she had no talent or chance at a writing career. Before his first job in the band Menudo, Ricky Martin, the Latin superstar, was rejected several times as being too small and young looking. Start right now, today, to live a pro-active life — a life that you control. As soon as you set your goals and begin to take action, you are on the road and the journey has begun. Success is the journey. The easiest thing in the world and the hardest thing in the world is to change yourself. Only you can change you and you can only change you. You must have the courage to be honest with yourself. What is it going to take for you to become the best you? The French saint Francis De Sales instructed us, "Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly." No two people are going to have exactly the same list of goals and plans. One person may be physically fit but lazy at work. Someone may be a great earner but a poor investor. Another person may be the nicest person to everyone all day except when he gets home to his own family. Look at the following life categories and decide what goals and plans fit where you are now in your life and in what direction you’d like your journey to take. The American psychologist and author Mihaly Csikszenthihalyi teaches us how important writing goals and creating our own personal creed can be, "People who lead a satisfying life, who are in tune with their past and with their future — in short, people whom we would call "happy" — are generally individuals who have lived their lives according to rules they themselves created." Spiritual Goals. Spiritual goals give you an opportunity to look at the big picture. What is your relationship with God? What is your responsibility to the environment and to your fellow man? What do you intend to leave as your legacy? How will your one life have made a difference to humanity? Family Goals. Family goals allow you to share and to enjoy life with a kindred partner and to pass on all your best qualities to a new generation. How can you be a better husband, wife, parent, aunt or uncle? Can you write a note or e-mail, call or visit a lonely family member? Physical Goals. Physical goals challenge you to be as fit and healthy as possible. You can’t change genetics or avoid all accidents but you don’t have to waddle through life either. Are you exercising, watching your weight and getting enough sleep? Are you meditating or using quiet time to reduce stress and align your priorities? Have you chosen a life sport? Career Goals. Career goals place you in a position to earn enough money to have all the material possessions and time that you want for yourself and your family. Will you work a second job or accept overtime? Will you go back to school to improve your job skills? Will you be such a valuable employee that your company will fear losing you? Will you start your own business? Cultural Goals. Cultural goals are your opportunity to fill your life with beauty. Are you going to the theater and concerts and gallery shows? Are you savoring fine food and wines? Are you reading great books and listening to great music? Who or what is stopping you from living well? Community Goals. Community service goals present the chance for you to give back. Can you volunteer to work for local worthwhile causes? Can you donate money? Would you run in a race to raise money for those in need? Would you run for political office? Former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, said, "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." Social Goals. Social goals are a two way street. Do you appreciate friendships? Do you entertain? Do you offer counsel and comfort? Do you make people feel welcome? Are you neat, clean, well mannered and polite? Intellectual Goals. Intellectual goals encourage you to commit to a life of curiosity and self-education. Books, magazines, talks, speeches, seminars, courses and the entire world of the Internet are your resources. This new millennium presents opportunities for unparalleled academic advancement. What will you do? What are your ideas for better people, families, relationships, and societies? How will you tell the world? Investment Goals. Investment goals demand that you sacrifice today for tomorrow. Are you preparing for a long retirement? Have you taken the time to understand the benefits of your pension and other retirement plan? In what industries do you have specialized knowledge that you can put to profitable investment use? Do you know successful market investors whose advice and strategies you can copy? Would you invest in rental real estate? Do you need life or disability insurance? Personal Goals. Personal goals — For this category, let’s really expand your thinking. Make a wish without worrying about your abilities, experiences or assets. What would you be able to do? How much money would you have? What would you create? Where would you live? What sort of home would you have? Is it a mansion? A house in the country? Where would you like to visit? Would you like to tour Europe? Visit Japan? Go to Disneyland? What sort of hobbies would you enjoy if you could do whatever you liked? Would you own a pet or a luxury car? What would you do for your friends and your family? Go ahead and free your thinking. Let your goals reflect the outcomes that you desire. What are the results and consequences of the goals you choose? You must be sure that once you attain a goal, you get exactly the outcome you had expected. After spending a year’s salary on a car or seven years’ salary on a house or four years earning a college degree, you don’t want to feel disappointed.
Think. Visualize. Write it down. Think again. Refine your thoughts. The strategies for appropriate action will begin to formulate in your mind. Your vision evolves into goals that become objectives, which become daily to-dos. As you write, think and act, a wonderful thing will begin to happen; it is called momentum. You will feel exhilarated. Your enthusiasm and pride in your accomplishments will spur you forward to accomplish ever more. Momentum builds. Momentum will serve to further bolster your self-confidence. In the course of researching your goals, new and better ideas will appear that will stimulate your thinking. You will constantly be customizing and refining your goal setting. These are your goals and no one else’s. You may start out wanting to be a general graphic designer and then decide to specialize in web design. You may start with one diet and switch to another. You may start as a paralegal and finish as an attorney. You begin college as a psychology major and finish with a teaching degree. These changes are for the good. Keep perfecting your personal vision of yourself, your style, your attitudes and your lifestyle. As you create your goals and plans, consider this Chinese proverb, If you are planning for one year, grow rice. If you are planning for 20 years, grow trees. If you are planning for centuries, grow individuals.
Let’s say you want to get rich in real estate and retire in twenty years. Go to the library and read every book they have on real estate. This is but the start of a lifelong self-education process. Get a real estate license. Start talking to landlords and real estate agents. Start reading the classified ads. If you have no money to invest, that is your problem to solve. Start working part-time as a rental agent. Get a second night job at the mall. Join the National Guard. Find a partner. Do what you have to do to acquire the funds you’ll need to become an investor. There is a way. Find it. Go to the bookstore for more books. Search on-line and keep reading. Commit to your success. List all the people who can help you to realize your goals: lawyer, accountant, business associates, employees, friends, family members, investment advisors, bankers, teachers, counselors, neighbors, mentors, club members. Start a contact-networking file. Make a list of people to whom you can delegate tasks or whom you can hire to work with you toward the accomplishment of your goals. Then, as Walt Disney advised, "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." If you are committed to the Action Principles, who or what can stop you? There are no excuses. The German Nobel Laureate Dr. Albert Schweitzer reminds us, "One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity." If you are starting with absolutely nothing, you will simply savor your success that much more. Prove your critics wrong. Play to your strengths. You write the rules. You do what you have to do. Do it for yourself and for those you love.
If you could change lives with someone else, who would it be? What goals would you attempt if you had no fear? What projects have you started but haven’t finished? What do you feel you were born to do? What is missing from your life? Goal setting gives you control over the direction of your life’s journey. Goal setting is personal power. Many, through inaction, will rest their futures on the hard work or benevolence of others. You have one life. Why risk that life on another’s whim or another’s plan for you? Set goals and assume control of your own life. The goals you select should be challenging but realistic and achievable. Goals that are too easy or too hard can negatively affect your motivation. Since the Master Success journey is ongoing, so goal setting is ongoing. Commitment to a life of ongoing self-improvement and service to others takes you from one goal to the next. An interest in government in high school may lead to a major in political science in college to earning a law degree to a successful career as an attorney to a judgeship to semi-retirement as legal aid advocate. Goals become the markers from one point to another. Be great. Believe. Go for it. Hear the words of American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Nothing great has ever been accomplished without enthusiasm." Don’t worry about the number of goals you have written. The number doesn’t matter. In a later chapter, we will discuss taking a few minutes each day for personal reflection. As you give yourself time each day to consider where you are and where you are going, your written goals and the corresponding plans for achieving those goals will naturally evolve from one to the next. You will be amazed at how inspired and confident you feel about your journey. You will be focused. Your goals will be clarified and focused. Let American historian Carl Sandburg be your guide, "The time for action is now. It’s never too late to do something." You maintain a positive mental attitude by approaching problems with an action-oriented mindset. You use positive affirmations to keep your mind on track. You seek out positive inspirational books, tapes and videos. You associate with positive people. You look for positive role models and copy success. You help others achieve their goals. You must be decisive. You don’t want to wait for things to happen. You need to go out and make them happen by choosing the best option and committing to it fully. To be decisive you must accept risk and move forward. When setting goals you need to think long term. You need to make decisions, set priorities. No two people will have the same set of goals. You must examine every area of your life and decide what it is that you wish to achieve. You must be prepared to be persistent. You should start today and then continue every day for the rest of your life. You want to be one of the 1% of people who have written goals and review them every day. Aristotle taught, "The good of a man is the active exercise of his soul’s faculties. This exercise must occupy a complete lifetime. One swallow does not make a spring, nor does one fine day. Excellence is a habit, not an event."
Go to Lesson 3
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