"A man has to have goals - for a day, for a lifetime - and that was mine, to have people say, 'There goes Ted Williams, the greatest hitter who ever lived.'"
--- Ted Williams
There used to be so much talk about goal setting that it diluted the whole concept of the process. It made people feel nauseas just to hear the words goals, goal setting, or making goals. Every business speaker knew the words, but it is doubtful how many understood the reason behind them. Yes, we need goals, and yes, writing down goals is a good way to engage the mind to act upon them. The question is really why? Why should we have goals and does it really make a difference?
There are cases of business success as well as success in other arenas where a person that succeeded never set any goals. Or did they? Did the person who said they didn't set goals to win or to succeed or to close a sale really not have that goal in mind?
"Crystallize your goals. Make a plan for achieving them and set yourself a deadline. Then, with supreme confidence, determination and disregard for obstacles and other people's criticisms, carry out your plan."
--- Paul J. Meyer
Goals are what we see that we want or as Steven Covey would say, "beginning with the end in mind." If I want to cross the street without getting hit by a bus, I see my goal as making it safely across the street without looking like a bug splatter on the windshield. In other words, without even considering goal setting, I've made a goal in mind.
We really do that every day. The reason goals are so powerful is because they drive us to a desired destination (across the street) and away from where we don't want to go or be (flat Stanley in the middle of the road). When we turn goal setting up a notch, say writing monthly goals on a piece of paper, we now have a drive factor that is ramped up. We are driven by what we set on paper.
"An athlete who tells you the training is always easy and always fun simply hasn't been there. Goals can be elusive which makes the difficult journey all the more rewarding."
--- Alberto Salazar
Goals can be as easy as we make them or as tough as we make them. It is up to us to decide. The best goals are just a wee bit out of reach, but still attainable. These goals stretch us and help us to grow and mature. They can usually take us out of our comfort zone, but that's okay. We are still aiming for the goal we chose.
"But if the vision is strong enough, and your goals are steady, and you believe, pretty soon you bring other people with you."
--- Mike Rounds
In business, goals setting can be contagious. When our team members see that we are following a path, they want to get onboard too--- especially if we communicate them clearly. People really do want to be around winners. Winners set goals and reach them, or at least get pretty darn close. That is what other people are attracted to.
"A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals."
--- Larry Bird
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Top 10 Concepts for Maximizing Productivity in Garment Decoration
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Billboard near a pasture in Oklahoma:
"Please Neuter Your Pets… And Weird Friends and Relatives"
On a door to a warehouse in Macon, GA:
"This door is not to be used for entering or exiting the building"
As seen on a hotel balcony in Daytona Beach:
"Caution: Please be aware that the balcony is not on ground level!"
We need those funny signs you've seen in your travels, come on, we know they're out there.
Send them to us at: info@signindustry.com.