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Dalton
Roberts |
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SET CLEAR AND SIMPLE GOALS It's
great to see proof in your own journal of the power of your own
decisions. In 1988 I listed decisions in the five most vital areas of
life: spiritual, family, professional, intellectual and physical. Instead
of a long list of goals, I only listed two goals in each category. Today
as I read those entries, it felt good to know I had realized every
single goal I listed 13 years ago. One
cause of failure in goal setting is setting too many goals. Just list
two in each category – the two that mean the most to you – and you
will achieve them. So
what did I do today when I saw I had reached all my 1988 goals? I set
two new ones in each category! Some were re-focusings of earlier goals,
Even if we reach a goal, we can redefine it more clearly and succinctly. "Succinctly"
is a key word here. State your goals as succinctly and clearly as
possible, the shorter the better. Use strong "trigger words."
A trigger word is one with emotional power. LIMELIGHT
CHANGES In
my journal of this date was a collage of pictures of prominent people
present at a big outdoor festival. One was a popular congressman later
killed in a plane crash. Another was a handsome businessman getting
ready to run for governor who was later imprisoned for crooked business
practices. One was a musician, now dead. Another was a top musician, now
crippled with congestive heart disease. Out of the five, after a dozen
years, only one remains alive and active. To
enjoy our time in the limelight, we need to realize it is not a
permanent thing. When I performed on the Grand Ole Opry, I thought of
all the great men and women who had stood there but are now gone. Fame
is so fleeting. Enjoy it as it happens for it will fly away like a
butterfly. Former
Tennessee Gov. Ned McWherter tells about feeling pretty special when he
got elected and returned home, stopping at a country store to see old
friends. One old codger in overalls said, "I know you're a big man
now, Ned, but always remember that how many people come to your funeral
will be pretty well determined by the weather." Having
served 16 years in a high political office, I can tell you one more
thing. Don't get so enamored by the limelight that you need it. When you
leave it, you must create a way of life that is just as satisfying,
providing "limelights' of your own choice. One of mine is to write
something from my heart every day and another is to take a long
meditative walk, completely absorbing all the sights and sounds of the
pathway. I find it as satisfying as anything I ever did in the political
limelight. Both can be delicious morsels in a full life. |