24 Lessons in High Performance Leadership

Lesson Fifteen
Make a New Reality

I did a program once with former heavyweight champion George Foreman. Even though he is the former champion, I still called him Champ. As we had lunch together that day, I studied his nose from across the table. A heavyweight boxer’s nose is a work of art. George Foreman’s nose is a monument to goal orientation. It has been sculpted by some of the strongest, meanest punchers ever to step into a ring. I wondered how any man could endure the incredible pain that George Foreman must have endured with so many heavyweight boxers hammering on his nose over the years, so I asked him.

"If I see what I want real good," he answered. "I don't notice any pain in getting it."

A new reality is an achieved goal. We are headed into the future every second, whether we like it or not. We can’t hold back time. So, how are we endeavoring to shape the future? What are we doing now that will leave our mark on our future?

Here are my steps to shaping a new reality:

• Visualize your goal vividly.
Generalizations about your intended goals do you no good. The greater the clarity of your
vision, the more focused and efficient your efforts toward it will be. I don’t know of
anyone who gains value through wasted effort.

• Break your goal down into doable daily tasks.
When goals loom enormous on the horizon, it’s natural to feel intimidated and even
overwhelmed. Be realistic about what a human being can accomplish in a day and don’t
expect any more of yourself or others. Realizing goals is far less dramatic that way, but you
will eventually get there.

• Act on your goals every day.
I'm not suggesting that you work seven days a week. But, don’t let a workday go by without taking even a small step toward a specific goal. Progress is progress, no matter how small,
and the feeling of accomplishment is just as sweet in many small doses as it is in one large
one. However, breaking the task down into smaller disappointments will not minimize the
feeling of disappointment at never achieving the big goal.

Here are three of my guidelines for goal achievement:

Make sure your goals are measurable, realistic, and challenging: In other words, they should be within reach but only if you stretch and you should be able to know when you’ve achieved them.

Categorize your goals: Decide which are short-term, which are midterm, and which are long-term.

Set a timetable for achievement––and keep to it: Begin! Don't stop! Concentrate on results! Then celebrate when a goal is achieved––immediately replace it with a new goal.

"If you don't know what to do on a daily basis to achieve your goal,
then it is not a goal--it's a fantasy."