Now is the time to take stock of not only the last year, but also the last decade. This Thursday will be the end of the first decade of the 3rd millennium AD.
Think back to the end of the year 1999. Did you expect to be where you are today (2009) back then? Most people tell me “No.” Not that that’s a good or a bad thing. It is what it is. Things change.
Did you have one or more 10-year goals in 1999? Most people didn’t. Most people never get really clear about what they want.
Thinking long-term is a very good strategy if you want to be successful. Statistically, in society, the shorter-term people think, the less successful they tend to be. Think about it.
Think about the people who have an extremely ‘short-term’ mentality. Homeless alcoholics or heroin addicts come to mind. All they’re thinking about is their next drink or their next fix. That’s the ultimate in short-term thinking.
On the other extreme, there are many people in the United Kingdom who register their children for college before they’re even born to improve their chances of getting accepted! Now that’s long-term thinking.
Having well defined intentions/goals doesn’t guarantee success, but it drastically improves your chances. If you don’t know where you’re going, any path will get you there.
Where do you see yourself in the year 2020? Will you be doing something different than you are today? What resources will you need? How will you get there? Where do you see yourself in the year 2030? 2040? 2050? Think about this for a moment.
Those years will come whether you do anything about it or not. Time waits for no one. The question is, “Where do you want to be when they come?” What is your vision for your future? Consider it carefully.
When I was 22 I was a professional musician. After hearing Denis Waitley’s classic, The Psychology of Winning audio program, I thought to myself, “I can see myself being a professional speaker when I’m around 50.”
I’m 51 now and I’ve been a professional speaker since August 1999. Be careful what you ask for because you just might get it!
If you want to super-charge your goals for the next year and decades and learn how to eliminate negative beliefs that may be holding you back from achieving them, click here.