This weeks Article....
Goals
Cure the Problem Child
The power of a goal and focus changes a
life
It is a Sunday afternoon visit
with family members and my grandniece, EM
is there. This young woman has had a
challenging life in many ways and we
always wondered what would happen to
her.
To say the least I was surprised
and elated at what was being
said!
At an early age, EM lost most of
her hearing to infections and now wears
hearing aids. Her behavior was anything
but acceptable around others; total
disrespect was the outside
view. With
her single mother being challenged in
other ways, EM ended up with foster
homes, relatives and special schools from
time to time as well.
This was not the same problem
girl I had been use to seeing! Here is
what had changed….
The conversation moved to school
and how everyone was doing, including
EM.
"I have a school in Missouri I
want to attend and it's tough to get
into." EM said.
Ok I thought, this is a huge
change in thinking for her! What is
happening here? Of
course, my next question was "Tell me
about that?"
"Well it's a medical school that
is really good called Hamlin and I want
to go there to be a Chiropractor." was
EM's response.
So we have a young high school
girl that never seem to have anything
together, looking four to five years out at
a lofty goal with a gleam in her eye that
said serious.
Yes, I have heard many kids say
this is what I am going to do, then you
ask them for the plan and it goes
downhill very quickly. So, the next
question is about what her plan is to
make this all happen. After all a 3.5
grade average or better is going to be
needed among other things.
For the next several minutes, we
heard the plan.
"I want to get my mom to meet
with my class counselor this
week. I know
I have to get all the Sciences in next
year like Biology, Chemistry and
Math. I plan
to do business in my senior year and want
to set up summer classes as well so I can
get all of the classes I need done before
I graduate. If I do them all at once I
might affect my grade average, that's why
the summer sessions." was EM's
response.
In all the sixteen years I have
known this girl, never had she had
anything remotely close to focus of any
kind, much less this kind of challenging
goal!
There was passion, belief and
determination in her voice and eyes. This
was not a pipe dream I was hearing, this
was a life choice!
What had changed her, what was
the tipping point for this young woman? I
do not know and perhaps she really does
not know. Nevertheless, there has been a
change!
Now you are asking what does
this have to do with me! I am a
salesperson or manager, maybe even a
CEO!
What the example of EM provides
us is the power of focus and goals. For
whatever the reason EM has set a
challenging goal and the enthusiasm and
passion is ignited.
What if we could consistently
set such goals in others and ourselves
and continually ignite that passion and
enthusiasm? How
might this change our futures and those
around us?
There have been plenty of
articles written on goals, mission and
vision; the challenge is of course
implementing what we already
know.
The important keys to take from
this are:
-
Goals with focus and passion
change lives!
-
Goals are uncomfortable and
require change; the main reasons most
are not set or achieved.
-
Goals need support from
outside, help others be comfortable
with being uncomfortable.
-
You have the ability to
create the environment that breeds
passionate goals; many leaders do the
opposite and try to control too
much.
-
Observe your own attitude
and views around others. Do your
action and words engender passion,
goals and challenge?
Take the chance, EM has and it
could completely change her life for the
better. What about you and your
team.
We will see how things work out
over the next several years and do what
we can to keep EM on track. Will you do
the same for yourself?
By the way, her mother also had
several books on self-development and how
to change her thinking. For years, she
thought a supervisor's job was out of her
capability. Now she has a supervisor's
position and even physically looks
different along with her thinking! Might
there be any correlation with her
daughters change in thinking?
Life is what you think it
is!
Harlan Goerger
© Harlan Goerger 5-2009
Reprint in entirety only
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