Discover the truth about setting goals and why most people don’t achieve true success.
This time of year many people write down goals of what they want to accomplish in the coming year. The sad truth is it is often a very futile exercise in setting and breaking goals. Few people stick to the goals or resolutions they were so committed to at the beginning of the year. Occasionally, you find someone who is serious about what they are doing and does stick with their goals.
Over the last year, I have had the opportunity to work with a gentleman who has been setting (and achieving) goals for years. He actually began a formal process of setting goals at the beginning of each year over 30 years ago. As a result, he enjoys a life few will experience and many only dream of.
One goal he had at the beginning of 2007 was to write a book. His purpose in writing the book was to document the very processes, practices and strategies that have allowed him to be in the top 3% of revenue generators in his industry while maintaining a life of balance and contribution. .
In his book, “What Can a Dentist Teach You About Business, Life and Success? Discover Secrets To Achieving Total Succes!” Dr. Joe Capista writes, “Many people strive for their dream of success, but often miss the one element they absolutely must have in order to achieve their outcome - balance. I speak from the experience of having achieved a very high level of outward success by the time I was in my late twenties, yet my life was far from what could be considered one of Total Success.
Having grown up in an average blue-collar neighborhood my early definition of success was all about how much I could achieve financially. Because of this early measure of success by the time I was in my late twenties, I really felt as if I had arrived. I was making great money, driving a fancy car and living in a big house. Everything I based success on, I had. The harsh reality was, my life was in turmoil. Although I had a level of success, I didn't have TOTAL SUCCESS.
How many people base success on the outward measures, but if you were to look deeper it would be evident there is much that is missing? What I now know in my mid-fifties is that true success consists of more than what we can achieve financially or materially.
Succeeding only on the material level can often leave other areas of a person’s life completely out of balance. Even though outwardly they appear to “have it all” their life is in turmoil and their lifestyle is killing them. They lack inner-peace and balance.
The fact is, every aspect of life is connected. In order to have Total Success, it is necessary to have balance in all areas of life.
So often we say to ourselves, “I’m only going to work this hard for a little while. When I achieve a higher level of success then I will slow down.” The reality is, if we are merely driven by outward measures of success, we may never slow down until life slows us down through illness, broken marriages, lost friendships, or any number of ways we are forced to slow down. Often we are forced to slow down long enough to look at our life and admit what we have achieved is only the hope of success and not what success is meant to be.
To achieve a life of success you must have balance physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially and in your relationships.
The reality is the more balanced your life becomes, the more success you can create. The more balance you have the more you will realize what you are capable of and how connected everything is.
All aspects of life are connected at a very deep level. Once you come to realize this you can no longer address one area without addressing another. Once you know this, you cannot longer go back to an old way of thinking, acting and believing. Everything will shift.”
A quick look around will show us how correct Dr. Joe Capista is with what he writes. How many people live a life in which they enjoy inner peace and tranquility? Sadly, less than we may imagine. As you set your goals for the coming year, think about what you need to do to achieve a life that reflects the deepest meaning of success; one in which you feel good about your life personally and professionally and you have a deep sense of peace and tranquility.
Will Your Resolutions Soon be a Forgotten Promise?
