Having a BIG GOAL is similar to being in a tournament with 32 competitors, all of whom want to win – with some desiring it more than others.
You begin with the opening round, which you must win to play another day.
If you win the first round, 16 competitors are left.
If you win the next round, eight people remain. Win again and you’re down to four.
With one more victory, two people are still standing, and one of them will take home the championship.
The competitor who is looking ahead to the championship before the first round, is often upset by someone not as highly skilled.
The one whose primary focus is on the current round is poised and relaxed, able to perform at his or her best. The competitor who looks too far ahead, figuring the current round is a foregone conclusion, often meets with disaster.
And so it goes with having a BIG GOAL of any kind.
If you chunk your goal into bite-sized daily accomplishments, you play the game of life with passion, purpose and power. You allow momentum to build as you focus on the process of getting something done.
Over time, by focusing on the process, the result you seek almost seems to take place of its own accord.
Ultimately, you were the one with the vision, the one who created the reality you’re now living in.
But you did it by looking ahead temporarily, then putting your focus back on the here and now, the step you must take before you get another one.
Champions are masters of taking care of the little stuff that adds up to the big prize. Champions don’t overlook opponents, regardless of their record. They take care of who and what is in front of them today.
Too much focus on the BIG GOAL leads to disappointment and frustration.
You can never focus too much on taking care of the opponent you are facing today.
That tiny pebble in your shoe is only a nuisance when you don’t take the time to remove it.
Daily goals may appear to be a nuisance in comparison to a BIG GOAL, but if you don’t take care of them, they will bite you.
Matt Furey
Author of One Breath at a Time
