You can’t reach your goal if you never set one. Recently I was reminded of this fact. My husband is an extraordinary 8th grade history teacher in South Central Los Angeles. His students love him as he brings history alive both in and out of the classroom. Just this year he won the secondary school, Teacher of the Year Award for his school district. But this accomplishment is not the goal I want to address today. The story I have to tell is about Poker; a game of patience and skill as well as some good luck.
For almost 5 years my husband has studied videos, read books, played Texas Hold’em regularly. He is passionate about the game and is fascinated by the science of the game and the psychological strategies employed. After about a year of playing with friends and in local tournaments, he announced, “One day, I will play in the World Series of Poker and win big money.” I replied of course you will, only half believing him, but not wanting to burst his bubble. When he made the comment, I thought it was about as viable as “Someday I will win the lottery.” Well last week my husband proved to me that when you have a goal, believe it is possible and work hard to get there, it will happen. He entered the World Series of Poker, event#34 ten days ago. He went up against 3142 poker players from around the world – and made it to the final table (a huge accomplishment in itself). In the end he finished in 8th place and won over $47,000. Truly amazing!
I wanted to share this story as a reminder that if you don’t dare to think big and set goals your accomplishments will be few and minor. It all starts with a vision. Rather than share with you the typical goal setting strategies, I wanted to share an idea and keep it really simple. Ask yourself, “What do I really want?” Once you are clear on “the what” it’s as easy as ABC or should I say CBA to make it a reality. Here’s what you do:
Conceive the idea. Think about what you want, why you want it and what it will mean for you when you achieve it. Get excited and feel the emotion. Anticipate your success.
Believe that it is possible. For any goal to manifest, you have to believe not only that it is possible, but that you are capable and worthy of achieving and receiving your success.
Achieve your goal by taking the necessary actions. Just wanting something or believing it is possible is not enough to make it happen. Create your plan and do the work. Be accountable to yourself. Overcome the obstacles and embrace the opportunities. Set reasonable time frames and celebrate your success.
So whether it’s a personal dream or a professional goal, you have the power to make it happen. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose.
