Olympics - Hopes and Goals - Determination

In my household when the Olympic Games begin, everything stops and we watch the games.  At least we have in years past.  My wife loves the Olympic Games, and after we were married I've learned that the TV stays on the Olympic broadcast, and no fair listening to the news, we have to watch the broadcast and see the moment.  So we have to be careful about news sources so as not to have any spoilers before we get to watch the games.

The 1992 Barcelona Summer Games had some fantastic drama in the 400 meter race.  Derek Redmond who didn't race in the 1988 games because of an injury made it to Barcelona.  The 400 meter race started, and he tore his right hamstring at 250 meters.  He got up off the ground and kept going, stumbled, fell.  His father came down out of the stands and told Derek he didn't need to go on, but Derek insisted he had to finish the race.  With the support of his father he crossed the finish line, last place, but sixty-five thousand people cheered.  Tears flowed freely.  A defining moment about determination.  The race was lost, the goal unfulfilled, but raw determination took him to the end, he finished what he started.

Part of success is simply raw determination.  I heard this poem in 1980, and then found a copy of it.  It has been folded and refolded and read and reread.  I share it now, it means a lot to me, I love the message, and it has helped me push on, even when I don't want to.  It has been a source of inspiration to me for years.

The sports world is full of stories, ABC Sports put it best with the Wide World of Sports, "The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat."  Life is full of setbacks, in so many areas.  My writing friends all fight up hill battles with their quests to be published, I include myself in this quest as well.  A published writer overcomes so much.  Business world has a lot to deal with, so many challenges, so much success comes through pure, raw, unadulterated determination.

“The Race”

--D.H. Groberg

"Quit!" "Give up, you're beaten!"

they shout at me and plead,

"There's just too much against you now,

this time you can't  succeed."

And as I started to hang my head

in front of failure's face,

My downward fall is broken by

the memory of a race.

And hope refills my weakened will

as I recall that scene,

For just the thought of that short race

rejuvenates my being.

A children's race, young boys, young men;

now I remember well.

Excitement, sure, but also fear;

it wasn't hard to tell.

They all lined up so full of hope. 

Each thought to win that race

Or tie for first, or if not that,

at least take second place.

And fathers watched from off the side,

each cheering for his son,

And each boy hoped to show his dad

that he would be the one.

The whistle blew and off they sped,

as if they were on fire

To win, to be the hero there,

was each young boy's desire.

And one boy in particular,

his dad was in the crowd,

Was running near the lead and thought,

"My dad will be so proud."

But as he speeded down the field,

across the shallow dip,

The little boy who thought to win

lost his step and slipped.

Trying hard to catch himself,

his arm flew out to brace,

And 'mid the laughter of the crowd,

he fell flat on his face.

So, down he fell, and with him, hope. 

He couldn't win it now.

Embarrassed, sad, he only wished

he'd disappear somehow.

But, as he fell, his dad stood up

and showed his anxious face,

Which to the boy so clearly said,

"Get up and win the race!"

He quickly rose, no damage done,

behind a bit, that's all.

And ran with all his mind and might

to make up for the fall.

So anxious to restore himself,

to catch up and to win,

His mind went faster than his legs. 

He slipped and fell again.

He wished he had quit before

with only one disgrace.

"I'm hopeless as a runner now,

I shouldn't try to race."

But, in the laughing crowd he searched

and found his father's face.

That steady look that said again,

"Get up and win the race!"

So, he jumped up to try again,

ten yards behind the last;

"If I'm to gain those yards," he thought,

"I've got to run real fast!"

Exceeding everything he had,

he regained eight or ten,

But trying so hard to catch the lead,

he slipped and fell again.

Defeat! He lay there silently,

a tear dropped from his eye.

"There's no sense running any more. 

Three strikes, I'm out...why try?"

The will to rise had disappeared,

all hope had fled away.

So far behind, so error-prone,

closer all the way.

"I've lost, so what's the use?"

he thought, "I'll live with my disgrace."

But then he thought about his dad,

who soon he'd have to face.

"Get up," an echo sounded low,

"Get up and take your place.

You weren't meant for failure here;

get up and win the race."

With borrowed will, "Get up," it said,

"You haven't lost at all,

For winning is no more than this

--to rise each time you fall."

So up he rose to win once more. 

And with a new commit,

He resolved that win or lose,

at least he wouldn't quit.

So far behind the others now,

the most he'd ever been.

Still, he gave it all he had,

and ran as though to win.

Three times he'd fallen,

stumbling, three times he rose again.

Too far behind to hope to win,

he still ran to the end.

They cheered the winning runner,

as he crossed the line, first place,

Head high and proud and happy;

no falling, no disgrace.

But, when the fallen crossed the finish line,

last place,

The crowd gave him the greater cheer

for finishing the race.

And even though he came in last,

with head bowed low, unproud,

You would have thought he'd won the race,

to listen to the crowd.

And to his dad, he sadly said,

"I didn't do so well."

"To me you won," his father said,

"you rose each time you fell."

And now when things seem dark and hard

and difficult to face,

The memory of that little boy

helps me in my race.

For all of life is like that race,

with ups and downs and all,

And all you have to do to win

is rise each time you fall.

"Quit!" "Give up, you're beaten!"

They still shout in my face,

But another voice within me says,

"Get up and win that race!"

Thursday's Time Tip: Focus on Goals: Long Range

I like this quote, "Remember when you see a man at the top of a mountain, he didn't fall there. 

– anonymous"

To get to the top of that mountain takes planning and follow through.  But first it takes desire, that fellow wanted to be on top of that mountain.  Getting to the top was his goal.

A lot of successful businesses have a “five year plan”.  I’ve heard jokes where the punch line is, “Oh, that is on the five year plan.”    The idea is to map out where you would like to be in five years.  How can you project where you want to be in five years?  Grief some days I can not predict what I’ll be doing in the next 10 minutes, let alone worry about next week!

I look at things this way.  We are on the river of life.  Are we clinging to a log and going where the current takes us?  Or, are we on a raft, with a pole pushing away from the rocks and shore line?  Or are we in a comfortable yacht sipping drinks and listing to music and enjoying the voyage? 

I want to be on the sail boat all comfy and enjoying the cruise.  So how do you let go of the log, get off the raft, and climb aboard the ship?  By setting goals and working towards them.  The nice thing about the boat is you are in control of where you will be on the river, not at the mercy of the river.  You have to understand the currents and flow, but you use them to get to where you want to be.

 

So what matters most?  I’m not talking about things, I’m discussing life and relationships.  Things are great, but trying to get the big house, nice TV, big car, or what ever the item is, once you have it then what?  How is the relationship with your spouse/significant other?  With your parents, children, friends?  What are you doing to make those things better?  Yes, a nice place to live is important.  Income is important.  Those items do help make life a lot more pleasant.  But what good is a great home if the family living there is broken?

So look at your life.  Where are you now?  Where would you like to be?  Where do you want to be five years from now?

Decide what you want and write the goal as if you already have the goal is accomplished.

I own my own successful business.

I am a published author.

I enjoy my new home with my family.

I enjoy my retirenment and spend time with my grandchildren.

I have a collage degree and have a new career

I think you get the idea.  How to get to these long range goals depends on midterm and short term goals.  The rest of this month’s Thursday’s tips will focus on the other types of goals and tricks for achieving them.  That way the five year plan will work.  These are not just dreams.

Case in point.  Several years ago I saw some houses being built.  I love to go through homes, looking at the construction and the floor layout.  So when I got home I told my wife about the houses.  I said, “Lets go walk through them and see what they look like.”

“No, I don’t want to,” She replied.

“Why not? It will be fun.”

“Because you’ll start dreaming about them, and I’m not ready to move yet.”

She understood that I would start to think about changing things, and setting goals and making things happen so we could get a new home.

I took her no as a great compliment.  (We did eventually look at the homes, and yes I did build a nice home and moved the family into it.)

So if you do not like where you are at in life right now, where do you want to be?  If you are happy, what do you need to do to stay?  The river is flowing, and we will be going down the river, how we go is up to the goals you need to set.  What is your five year plan?

Take the time to write down some long range goals.  Look at your relationships, your finances, your situation.  Next week I’ll discuss mid range goals.  The steps that you’ll need to take to make the five, ten, or even 20 year plan come into focus and achievable. 

What do you think?  What have I missed?  Any other thoughts on setting five year plans?