Plan To Win!

My father had a saying when I was growing up, “You will never hit something that you aren’t aiming at.”  When I was a teenager I would smile, walk away and roll my eyes.  What teenager in their right mind wants to take the time to plan to do something?  It was so much more fun to simply react to the world.  On top of that, if I tried to hit the target and missed then I failed, right?

The older I have become, the more I realize that my father was right!  (Any of you run into that with your parents?)  What is more amazing is how I have achieved everything I have set my mind to.  Makes me wish I had listened to him sooner!

I was listening to a radio program this morning on my way to work when the talk show host said, “Winners plan to win!”  I don’t remember much else that was said as my mind started running with his initial comment.

Winning doesn’t just happen.  Professional football teams don’t accidently wind up at the super bowl.  Professional baseball teams don’t randomly show up for games throughout the year and suddenly find themselves in the world series.  Successful people don’t emotionally respond to the world around them and find themselves at the top of their industry, in successful marriages, or making top dollar.

Winning takes effort!  If you want to become a winner you will have to make the same effort other winners make:

1. Plan to win!  Know what you want to achieve and create a plan to get there.  I used to hate the thought of setting goals, but I learned to hate mediocrity more.  Goals are simple steps to take to achieve what you want.  It’s the only way to get there.
2. Don’t quit!  The path to winning is hard!  It is riddled with difficulty and winners expect it.  That way when they run into those obstacles they look for ways around them, over them or through them instead of sitting on the ground and whining that there is something in their way.
3. Be flexible!  You initial plan is a starting point.  When you are starting toward the prize you don’t know what you don’t know.  Be willing to learn along the way and make the needed adjustments.
4. You can’t fail!  Failure is just learning waiting to happen.  I guess you can fail if you refuse to learn from mistakes or mishaps, but you don’t have to!  Never miss an good opportunity to learn from your mistakes. 
5. Celebrate your victories!  Every time you complete a step toward you final goal, celebrate it.  Have a special dinner with your family, create a happy dance, or give yourself a small reward.  You will be amazed at how much it encourages you to celebrate little victories with those you love!

Whatever it is you want to achieve in life, plan to achieve it.  If you don’t plan it, the odds are you will never experience the life you have always wanted!