How Serious Are You?

“True happiness... is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”

Helen Keller

“Happiness comes when we test our skills towards some meaningful purpose.”

John Stossel

“A noble purpose inspires sacrifice, stimulates innovation and encourages perseverance.”

Gary Hamel

Tonight I started a blog and while saving the document, the computer froze.  When this happens I have to restart the computer, and when it restarts, I can recover the document.  For the first time ever, that didn’t work.  I rebooted the computer, but when it came back on, the document was gone.  Today I resolved to work more diligently during the summer break so that I can reach my goals.  So it shouldn’t surprise me that something goes wrong.  Problems are the lifeblood of Purpose.  Without problems our Purpose has no substance.  Problems are life’s way of asking, “How serious are you about your goal(s)?”

Though I’ve posted these several times, I’m going to do so again to remind myself what I’m doing. 

·      Walk at least 30 hours

·      Write 100 more blogs.

·      Do 40 more radio shows.

·      Put 40 more things on eBay.

·      Read for 40 hours.

·      Reduce my debts by 20% or more.

In reviewing these goals, I see areas where I have been less than diligent and other areas where I’ve done very well.  I’ve done very well on my radio shows and am more than halfway there.  Today, however, I made a decision.

We need to treat the attainment of goals as if it were a paying job.  You might have more discretionary time, but that means that other responsibilities also arise.  Still, it doesn’t matter.  How serious are you?  I’m very serious.  I plan to reach all of my goals in the next five weeks.  However, it means I have to treat this as a job.   Here are things we can all do:

·      Wake up early.

·      Schedule certain blocks and amounts of time.

·      Prioritize tasks. 

·      Work at least five days a week, maybe more.

·      Take care of yourself so so you can do your work.

·      Remember that everything you're doing has an underlying purpose, (mine is to spend my life with my Muse in my house on the beach).

·      Postpone or eliminate some activities that get in the way of your work.

·      Work diligently so you can enjoy other things in life.

Setting goals can be exciting.  When we see it as more than a set of goals, but as a job, it's even more excited.  Having a purpose is invigorating.  It’s also stressful.  It would be easier to have no goals and just drift through the summer.  In, fact, I might even do that for a day or two.  It would be easier, but it would be far less satisfying.  And we would miss two, possibly three, rewards if we don’t set and pursue my goals.  The two rewards are these:

1.     The satisfaction of doing the work.

2.     The satisfaction of finishing it

There may be a third reward.  It could be recognition, appreciation, or even money.  But don't count on those.  Count on the first two.  This is the chance to do something powerful.  It will take self-discipline, patience, and a little work.  But it won’t be that hard.  All you have to do is Get Started and Keep Going.  I’m serious.