One of my typical gym treks last week gave me a perspective I hadn’t quite realized before.
Being a Monday, and all the gym-goers anxious to sweat out their weekend sins, it was packed. Iron dumbbells were clanging. Stationary bikes were whirring. And nearly all the treadmills were put through the paces.
I found one empty treadmill between two other souls. I climbed on and went from walking to jogging to somewhat running. Somewhat.
The first person I noticed was to my left. A very athletic college student — perhaps he ran track. But as I was starting to breathe hard at my moderate speed, he was running full force and barely breathing. He was the epitome of health. I glanced at his speed, felt inspired, and turned mine up a bit.
Then immediately turned it back down when no one was looking.
To my right was the complete opposite. A man that was climbing above fifty in age and had to have weighed three-fifty. His tread wasn’t moving much at all. In fact, he was walking. But while it had the pace of a Sunday stroll, every breath sounded as though it might be his last. Every step was a struggle.
There I was. Two different souls on either side of me. Both plugging away trying to improve their lives. But for total different reasons. With every step, the college student probably had the goal of becoming team captain, starting at the next game, or perhaps attracting a new girl.
Which is a world different than the man to my right. With every step, he was hoping to be able to live longer, see his grandchildren and shed some stubborn pounds.
That’s the point. Every day, everywhere you look, people are doing something to improve their lives and make themselves, their families and their lifestyles more complete.
But behind each struggle to improve. Behind every improved person is a story. A reason. A goal. Something that drives them. And that's the first thing you need before you can even hope to change your life. Because without that image or reminder constantly nagging you, it makes every step far more difficult.
Perhaps nobody demonstrates this better than Zig Ziglar.
Once www.improveyourself.com is launched, you'll discover numerous reasons to pursue your dreams, whatever they may be.
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Monday, August 11, 2008
The BEST advice I’ve ever received
This year marked the sixth anniversary of my dad’s passing. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss him. Yet his legacy lives through myself and my children through the advice he gave.
One nugget of advice which took me until my adult years to appreciate was given to me back in my little league and tiny tot soccer days. No matter what team I was on, I was usually one of the smallest players. Which means one of the slower. One of the weaker. One of the bench warmers. Naturally.
The first time he told it to me, I didn’t heed its wisdom. Pretty much ignored it, I suppose. After one of my usual lackluster soccer games, he sat me down and told me, “Don’t wait for the ball to come to you.”
“Um, Ok?” I went about my childhood and continued to ride the bench. Years passed and I became better and better at sports. Unfortunately, so did everyone else.
I remember one game specifically. Somehow, we made it to the championship round. And somehow, I was on the field. I was the last man — or scrawny kid — between the boy with the soccer ball and the goalie. And rather than do my usual move of, well, not moving and waiting for the ball to come to me, something compelled me to run.
I ran full speed after the opposing player. In fact, I ran so fast, I went right by him without touching the ball. But perhaps it startled him and he ended up tripping. The ball rolled slowly toward the goalie and we preserved an important win.
From that point on, I never waited for the ball to come to me. And somehow, that one piece of advice enabled me to stay competitive with kids that were much bigger, much faster and much stronger.
Today, I try to use my dad’s timeless advice in just about everything I do. Whether it’s business, investing, playing with my kids, playing tennis, or working out I always try to be proactive and not wait for the ball to come to me.
Most people wait for the ball. They wait to get laid off before improving their skills and finding their ideal career. They wait until their marriage hits rock bottom before going to a counselor. They wait until the doctor tells them the bad news before they eat right and exercise.
Sure, it takes work to run after the ball. But the rewards are worth it. Thanks Dad.
One man who will tell you like it is and encourage you to run after the ball is Larry Winget. His outrageous personality and electric approach shocks you into taking those first uncomfortable steps. Once www.improveyourself.com is live, he will be front and center giving you free advice.
One nugget of advice which took me until my adult years to appreciate was given to me back in my little league and tiny tot soccer days. No matter what team I was on, I was usually one of the smallest players. Which means one of the slower. One of the weaker. One of the bench warmers. Naturally.
The first time he told it to me, I didn’t heed its wisdom. Pretty much ignored it, I suppose. After one of my usual lackluster soccer games, he sat me down and told me, “Don’t wait for the ball to come to you.”
“Um, Ok?” I went about my childhood and continued to ride the bench. Years passed and I became better and better at sports. Unfortunately, so did everyone else.
I remember one game specifically. Somehow, we made it to the championship round. And somehow, I was on the field. I was the last man — or scrawny kid — between the boy with the soccer ball and the goalie. And rather than do my usual move of, well, not moving and waiting for the ball to come to me, something compelled me to run.
I ran full speed after the opposing player. In fact, I ran so fast, I went right by him without touching the ball. But perhaps it startled him and he ended up tripping. The ball rolled slowly toward the goalie and we preserved an important win.
From that point on, I never waited for the ball to come to me. And somehow, that one piece of advice enabled me to stay competitive with kids that were much bigger, much faster and much stronger.
Today, I try to use my dad’s timeless advice in just about everything I do. Whether it’s business, investing, playing with my kids, playing tennis, or working out I always try to be proactive and not wait for the ball to come to me.
Most people wait for the ball. They wait to get laid off before improving their skills and finding their ideal career. They wait until their marriage hits rock bottom before going to a counselor. They wait until the doctor tells them the bad news before they eat right and exercise.
Sure, it takes work to run after the ball. But the rewards are worth it. Thanks Dad.
One man who will tell you like it is and encourage you to run after the ball is Larry Winget. His outrageous personality and electric approach shocks you into taking those first uncomfortable steps. Once www.improveyourself.com is live, he will be front and center giving you free advice.
A life lesson: Taught by a slobbering, foul-mouthed, um, well, dog
It hit me about a week ago. Amidst the dog days of summer, (by the way, the “dog days” extend from July 3rd to August 11th — what did we do before Wikipedia? I was re-taught a valuable life lesson.
I say re-taught, because it’s one of those obvious lessons, but many of us forget. Before the kids’ bath routine and just after the grilled chicken got its final basting, I invited my dog outside.
Bumbling outside, my overweight and under-exercised mixed breed boxer/Labrador dog named Romeo welcomed me with his usual excessive panting. (Yes, that’s my dog’s name — many a night, I’ve called him inside my shouting, “Romeo, Romeo” as if I was reciting a Shakespearean play)
I picked a fuzz-depleted tennis ball and chucked it toward the back fence. Romeo ignored his thirteen-year-old arthritic body and ran after it as if he was a young pup. And as quick as he retrieved it, he bounced back and began pacing around my feet.
Now, the thing with Romeo is that he will not drop the ball UNLESS you show him another ball. Luckily I had said back-up ball.
Show ball. Drop ball. Throw slobber-induced ball. Repeat.
This went on for a while until I decided to throw the second ball as well. Now, he had two balls to retrieve. Which is a welcomed challenge for my dog.
For the next five minutes, my never-give-up dog tried his best to fit both tennis balls in his mouth. They didn’t fit. So he did what any other self-respecting mutt would do, he dropped one ball, picked the other one up, then dropped that one.
The whole charade produced nothing except my own fits of laughter. But the more I thought about it, I realized that my dog just reminded me of an important life lesson about reaching goals.
What tends to happen when New Years rolls around? If you’re like most, you may make several resolutions — perhaps your health, income, career, diet, or more. And although each of those is important, focusing on each of those goals at one time can be a recipe for failure.
Then by mid-February, your resolutions resemble my dog’s disheveled, slobber-soaked tennis balls.
Why? Lack of focus. It’s very difficult to maintain strict focus on several different life-changing goals at once. Just as my dog’s focus was obliterated and he in turn accomplished nothing except making a spectacle of himself.
So next time you want to change a little piece of your life, take one life change at a time. Focus on your career and bring that ball back safe and sound. Then, start focusing on your diet or health and bring that ball back.
You may at first think that you’re not accomplishing your goals fast enough, but the truth is, you’re giving your new life a chance to become habits. And that's how life changes are made — through habit.
I say re-taught, because it’s one of those obvious lessons, but many of us forget. Before the kids’ bath routine and just after the grilled chicken got its final basting, I invited my dog outside.
Bumbling outside, my overweight and under-exercised mixed breed boxer/Labrador dog named Romeo welcomed me with his usual excessive panting. (Yes, that’s my dog’s name — many a night, I’ve called him inside my shouting, “Romeo, Romeo” as if I was reciting a Shakespearean play)
I picked a fuzz-depleted tennis ball and chucked it toward the back fence. Romeo ignored his thirteen-year-old arthritic body and ran after it as if he was a young pup. And as quick as he retrieved it, he bounced back and began pacing around my feet.
Now, the thing with Romeo is that he will not drop the ball UNLESS you show him another ball. Luckily I had said back-up ball.
Show ball. Drop ball. Throw slobber-induced ball. Repeat.
This went on for a while until I decided to throw the second ball as well. Now, he had two balls to retrieve. Which is a welcomed challenge for my dog.
For the next five minutes, my never-give-up dog tried his best to fit both tennis balls in his mouth. They didn’t fit. So he did what any other self-respecting mutt would do, he dropped one ball, picked the other one up, then dropped that one.
The whole charade produced nothing except my own fits of laughter. But the more I thought about it, I realized that my dog just reminded me of an important life lesson about reaching goals.
What tends to happen when New Years rolls around? If you’re like most, you may make several resolutions — perhaps your health, income, career, diet, or more. And although each of those is important, focusing on each of those goals at one time can be a recipe for failure.
Then by mid-February, your resolutions resemble my dog’s disheveled, slobber-soaked tennis balls.
Why? Lack of focus. It’s very difficult to maintain strict focus on several different life-changing goals at once. Just as my dog’s focus was obliterated and he in turn accomplished nothing except making a spectacle of himself.
So next time you want to change a little piece of your life, take one life change at a time. Focus on your career and bring that ball back safe and sound. Then, start focusing on your diet or health and bring that ball back.
You may at first think that you’re not accomplishing your goals fast enough, but the truth is, you’re giving your new life a chance to become habits. And that's how life changes are made — through habit.
Perhaps the best views on goal setting is from Brian Tracy. As soon as www.improveyourself.com is launched on September 15th, 2008, he will be one of our most featured authors presenting free advice via video, audio, articles and more.
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