We're at our best when we're climbing, thinking, planning, working– when we're on the road to something we want to bring about. ~Earl Nightingale
We are at our best, and we are happiest, when we are fully engaged in work we enjoy– on the journey toward the goal we've established for ourselves.
~Earl Nightingale
I learned a long time ago that I perform at my best when I have planned my day around a particular goal. But the same holds true for life goals.
Planning is important. You need to have direction in life. By that, I don't mean someone telling you what to do-- although the sheep are many and the shepherds are few. When I refer to direction in life, I mean FOCUS. You need to TAKE AIM.
Establishing goals is like the mariner who goes to sea with a compass heading and a destination in mind. The clearer the understanding of the path you will follow, the most timely and truer your course will be. It is not as simple as saying, "Go west, young man." Think of goals as a direction in life and think of working on the completion of those goals as a journey.
Earl Nightingale was telling us that we reach our full potential when we are working toward achieving our goals. We think, we plan, we move forward. Along the way, we are learning, growing, becoming stronger, wiser, and better equipped for future endeavors.
We are happy on the journey toward our goals because we SEE progress. We have a sense of fulfillment and we taste the reward for our effort. We appreciate those experiences because we feel that we've earned them.
I don't want to sound political, but, part of the problem with a welfare system is that people don't appreciate what they are given nearly as much as what they earn as a reward for their labor. It's just a fact of life. Give something away and it is often not valued. That's the difference between feelings of appreciation and feelings of entitlement.
I just gave a friend a couple of the books I have written and she thanked me. She is genuinely appreciative. If I gave them away to the world at large, few if any would even say thank you. It's human nature. We tend to value things that cost us time and money. We take for granted things that are free.
If you want to make the most of life and be your best, make daily goals and long-term goals. Then, work toward the completion of those goals. And remember, life is the journey, not the destination.
