Make splashy goals. You could wax into a star, a professor, a billionaire. You could get stricken with deadly disease but thrive beyond your 80s. You could get smacked with mental illness yet wind up a bank’s Chief Technology Officer. Anything is possible, right? Yes! So set grandiose goals!
Once I dreamt of hosting a Saddledome event. A mentor of mine hosted a Jan Arden concert before Jan found fame. Later, my mentor spilled a secret: only two people showed up at that concert. (My mentor was known to fudge numbers for shock effect.) Yet, my mentor went on to champion many high-profile causes. So, she succeeded. Why not me or you? I could claim at least three attendees. How about you?
When our passions go belly-up, we pine over them. For a decade, I’d tell war stories about the time I bench pressed 110 pounds and squatted 135. But forget the war stories. Relive them! A year ago, I returned gung-ho to the gym. Ever since, I tell peace stories.
But I still grieve the day I stopped creating TV news clips. Our callings stem from stuff we dwell on.
But what if the world rejects your projects? Or worse, the world rejects you? Well, the blockbuster film Flashdance had many stars turn down its roles. Rejection after rejection. But greatness flows from rejection. You’re geared for glory if you get knocked down, kicked aside, spat upon—but get back up.
And what if family or friends drag down your dreams? It’s normal! People often project their own fears. Your goals demand you rise above. If pro-athletes, scientists, or other great achievers let criticism take over their thoughts, the world would never progress. So, let criticisms fire you up. Prove to naysayers—and yourself—that your goals stay separate from what others think.
Damon Zahariades shows you how to set goals—big or small—in The P.R.I.M.E.R. Goal-Setting Method: The Only Goal Achievement Guide You’ll Ever Need. He cooked-up the acronym P.R.I.M.E.R. to prompt tips on how to turn targets into triumphs. To sum, P.R.I.M.E.R requires you to
- pinpoint your highest priority ambitions,
- refine your desired outcomes,
- identify actions,
- modify you environment,
- evaluate your progress,
- and revisit your goals.
When you modify your environment, watch for distractors such as family and friends. Yes, it’s normal for ma, pa and pals to drag down your dreams. But sometimes they kill the will to win. To spell it out, you might study daily and live for the gym. But then some buddy drops by with Budweiser. Soon, you wind up whisked away on weeklong binges. And just last night, bingers coaxed you to pop narcotics. Toxins now serves as your highest priority ambition.
So be wary. Flee from friends who pop drugs, guzzle alcohol, or break the law. Instead, seek pals at church potlucks. Volunteer to take seniors to movies. Join a hot yoga class. Healthy people lead to happier lives. But if you can’t find one healthy chum, chase your dreams alone.
