“You’re not everything you could be, and you know it.”

—Jordan Petersen

Goal setting, mision and vision

Desire

From THINK and GROW RICH by Napolean Hill

The real problem is a lack of clarity and definition about what a project really is, and what the associated next-action steps required are. Clarifying things on the front end, when they first appear on the radar, rather than on the back end, after trouble has developed, allows people to reap the benefits of managing action. When Edwin C. Barnes climbed down from the freight train in Orange, N. J., more than thirty years ago, he may have resembled a tramp, but his thoughts were those of a king!

As he made his way from the railroad tracks to Thomas A. Edison's office, his mind was at work. He saw himself standing in Edison's presence. He heard himself asking Mr. Edison for an opportunity to carry out the one CONSUMING OBSESSION OF HIS LIFE, a BURNING DESIRE to become the business associate of the great inventor.

Barnes' desire was not a hope! It was not a wish! It was a keen, pulsating DESIRE, which transcended everything else. It was DEFINITE. The desire was not new when he approached Edison. It had been Barnes' dominating desire for a long time. In the beginning, when the desire first appeared in his mind, it may have been, probably was, only a wish, but it was no mere wish when he appeared before Edison with it.

A few years later, Edwin C. Barnes again stood before Edison, in the same office where he first met the inventor. This time his DESIRE had been translated into reality. He was in business with Edison. The dominating DREAM OF HIS LIFE had become a reality. Today, people who know Barnes envy him, because of the "break" life yielded him. They see him in the days of his triumph, without taking the trouble to investigate the cause of his success.

Barnes succeeded because he chose a definite goal, placed all his energy, all his will power, all his effort, everything back of that goal. He did not become the partner of Edison the day he arrived. He was content to start in the most menial work, as long as it provided an opportunity to take even one step toward his cherished goal.

Five years passed before the chance he had been seeking made its appearance. During all those years not one ray of hope, not one promise of attainment of his DESIRE had been held out to him. To everyone, except himself, he appeared only another cog in the Edison business wheel, but in his own mind, HE WAS THE PARTNER OF EDISON EVERY MINUTE OF THE TIME, from the very day that he first went to work there.

It is a remarkable illustration of the power of a DEFINITE DESIRE. Barnes won his goal, because he wanted to be a business associate of Mr. Edison, more than he wanted anything else. He created a plan by which to attain that purpose. But he BURNED ALL BRIDGES BEHIND HIM.

He stood by his DESIRE until it became the dominating obsession of his life, and finally, a fact. When he went to Orange, he did not say to himself, "I will try to induce Edison to give me a job of some soft." He said, "I will see Edison, and put him on notice that I have come to go into business with him. He did not say, "I will work there for a few months, and if I get no encouragement, I will quit and get a job somewhere else." He did say, "I will start anywhere. I will do anything Edison tells me to do, but before I am through, I will be his associate."

He did not say, "I will keep my eyes open for another opportunity, in case I fail to get what I want in the Edison organization." He said, "There is but ONE thing in this world that I am determined to have, and that is a business association with Thomas A. Edison. I will burn all bridges behind me, and stake my ENTIRE FUTURE on my ability to get what I want." He left himself no possible way of retreat. He had to win or perish!

That is all there is to the Barnes story of success! A long while ago, a great warrior faced a situation which made it necessary for him to make a decision which insured his success on the battlefield. He was about to send his armies against a powerful foe, whose men outnumbered his own. He loaded his soldiers into boats, sailed to the enemy's country, unloaded soldiers and equipment, then gave the order to burn the ships that had carried them. Addressing his men before the first battle, he said, "You see the boats going up in smoke. That means that we cannot leave these shores alive unless we win! We now have no choice we win— or we perish!

They won. Every person who wins in any undertaking must be willing to burn his ships and cut all sources of retreat. Only by so doing can one be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as a BURNING DESIRE TO WIN, essential to success.

Goals to Consider

Consider last week post covering four general areas of a man’s life. Finances, health and fitness, personal relationships, Faith and belief. Below are a numnber of suggestions for goal setting for each domain.

Some ideas for growth.

Finances:

Goals for finances could include career and income goals. Getting a new job, getting a promotion, attaining a particular position, or even starting your own business.

Example goals:

6 Month Emergency Fund: Aim to have 6 months of living expenses based off your costly month.

Debt free: Pay off all of your debts. There are many different strategies for this, and this free online calculator can help you determine the most efficient way to pay off your debts. https://www.calculator.net/debt-payoff-calculator.html

Investing and Retirement: Think about what it would take for you to retire, how much money saved would make you feel comfortable? If you have never invested before, perhaps you make a goal to first invest in your financial literacy and learn more about if investing is right for your financial goals.

Health and Fitness:

Body Composition Goals: Aim for a particular body fat percentage to achieve and maintain.

Strength: Aim for particular strength goals, such as achieving 1-3 max reps for a particular lift, such as bench-press, deadlift or squat.

Endurance: Set a goal to bike or run a set distance, and then distance and time. 5k, Marathon, iron man, or an obstacle course race. These are all good endurance goals.

Consistency: A good starter goal is to set a goal just to show up. Aim for something like 3 days a week for a 30 minutes of moderate activity. This goal can be used to build toward other larger goals.

Cut the crap: Eliminate all junk food, fast food, and all obvious consumptive vices such as alcohol, illicit drugs, and tobacco.

Sleep: Set a consistent bedtime and wake up time. Eliminate Screen time in bed.

Cardiovascular: Aim to improve your VO2 Max or other measures of your cardiovascular health.

Personal Relationships:

Friendship: Increase the depth and width of your personal spere. This can include making more friends and improving existing friendships. Such goals could include things such as having friends over for dinner, sharing intimate details of your life, having difficult conversations, and being available.

Romantic: If you do not have a woman in your life, the goal might just be to find the right one, and that might start with defining to yourself who she is, and how you desire the relationship to be. If you woman in your life, you might have things to work on and talk about. Maybe there are some things that you need to work through or have some a particular conversation. Set a goal to improve this relationship by some definable characteristic such as the Relationship Ratio. This ratio was discovered by research conducted by Dr. John Gottman. This ratio is the number of times you engage in sex with your partner, over the number of times you fight. The Magic Relation is described as 5. Aim to increase your ratio in your marriage.

Faith and Belief:

How do you know what you believe? You act on it. If you don’t act on it, then, I’m sorry, you don’t believe it. It’s just an opinion. Since you have already considered your faith and beliefs last week, use that evaluation to determine what actions you should implement into your life to validate those beliefs.

Challenge: Explore and test what you believe. Set a goal to study and learn more about what you believe in.

Connect: Set a goal to meet with and discuss your beliefs with others who share the same beliefs.

Discussion Question:

Where do you want to go?

When you were young, what did you want to do when you grew up? Did you ever achieve that goal? Did that goal morph into something else? What are some major life goals or dreams that you have yet to achieve?

Homework

You have already written your self-assessment on where you currently are, and you have started to take stock of all of the noise in your life. Next what we want to do is begin to write down all the things you want to do in and with your life. Really write down all of your aspirations and dreams. Be big, bold and broad, you can focus on details later.

Consider the suggestions above, and write down all your goals and dreams you can think of.
Make a list of things you would like to do, places to see, books to read etc.
Write a mission and vision statement for you and or your family if you have one.

Mission vs. Vision

A mission statement typically describes your purpose, what you do in the present, and who you do it for. It focuses on the “what” and “why” of your life. A vision statement looks to the future and paints a picture of what you aspire to become or achieve. It focuses on the “where” and “who you want to be.”

Reflect on Your Values and Beliefs:

Begin by thinking about your core values, principles, and beliefs. What matters most to you in life? What are your fundamental guiding principles?

Define Your Purpose (Mission):

Ask yourself: What is the primary purpose of my life? What do I want to accomplish or contribute to the world? Who do I want to serve or impact? Your mission statement should be concise and capture the essence of your purpose. For example: “To inspire and empower individuals to lead healthier lives through fitness and wellness.”

Envision Your Ideal Future (Vision):

Imagine your life several years or even decades from now. What does your ideal life look like? What accomplishments have you achieved? Who are you as a person? Your vision statement should be forward-looking and inspiring. For example: “To become a visionary leader in the field of sustainable technology, driving positive global change and leaving a lasting legacy.”

Make It Personal:

Your mission and vision statements should reflect your personal aspirations and goals. Avoid generic or clichéd statements; make them uniquely yours.

Keep It Clear and Concise:

Both statements should be clear and concise, making them easy to remember and communicate.