Set Your Sails and Go!
"If you learn to
set a good sail, the wind that blows will always take you to the dreams you
want, the income you want, and the treasures of mind, purse, and soul you want."
- Jim Rohn
(1930-2009) Author/Speaker
If you have
ever been out sailing, you have quickly learned this one great reality, you
cannot choose which way the wind blows.
Sailing is far more than just getting in a boat and allowing the wind to
blow you wherever it decides to. You
will soon find you are run ashore, zipping down the river heading for trouble
or who knows where, or you are just sitting still. The experienced sailor knows that it how
he/she handles the sails that will determine where you go, how fast you go and
how to keep safe.
So it is on your journey to
achievement. If you know how to set your
sails, you can go anywhere and make it to the goals you set in life faster than
you ever thought possible. However, as
with sailing, achieving your goals requires you to understand a few key
things. I want to point out three very
important bits of knowledge that all who are sailing to their goals must know.
#1) Have a Clear Destination
I have a friend who is an avid
boater. He is gone on his boat from late
spring to late fall. He has sailed
around the Great Lakes many, many times and knows the waters well. There is one thing he has pointed out to me
many times, that is the fact that he never sets sail unless he knows where he
is going, where he will spot along the way and when he intends to get to his
destination.
Boaters, like pilots, know that
a travel pattern is not only to help you find your destination but for safety
as well. When you are out in the waters
of Lake Michigan you best know here you are headed. So it is when you go to achieve your
dreams. It is vast, dangerous waters out
there and for the one who is careless and does not have the knowledge of where
they are going, you will get lost and can face disaster.
#2) Know What You Are Doing
Isn't it odd that people will
invest in classes and spend hours of time training to do some of the fun
activities they have always wanted to do, and yet they see it as an unnecessary
bother to prepare for their life? Would
you go rock climbing, jump from a plane or sail across the ocean without some
knowledge of what you are doing? I would
hope not. Likewise, you must know what
you have to do to achieve your goals in life.
Just saying you want something will not make it so. You have to go for it, and know how to go for
it.
Success-minded people know that
to achieve their dreams they must study, perfect their skills, read all the
books, articles and blogs that will help them develop in their area of
interest. Successful people are students
that never finish their courses. They
are always learning, growing and becoming experts in all they do.
#3) Never Leave Things to Chance
The people who are successful,
who are the best at what they do and who enjoy what they do the most are the
people who leave nothing to chance.
During my many years of involvement in the Boy Scouts, there is one
thing that is always before us; the Boy Scout Motto: Be Prepared. We teach boys that you should never be taken
by surprise. Always prepare for any
emergency, good or bad. When you are
ready, you will know what to do when the time comes.
On the journey to achievement
you will come on to many difficulties, challenges and road blocks. What you will not come across is a sign that
tells you these things are just ahead. You
have to be ready when they come because you will not know beforehand what to
expect. If you not ready before, you
will not be able to get ready at the time.
Reminds me of the words of the legendary coach John Wooden who use to
say: "If you don't have time to do
it right, how will you have time to do it over."
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