The story is told of Albert Einstein who was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of every passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn’t find his ticket, so he reached in his trouser pockets.
“It wasn’t there. He looked in his briefcase but couldn’t find it. Then he looked in the seat beside him. He still couldn’t find it.
“The conductor said, ‘Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I’m sure you bought a ticket. Don’t worry about it.’
“Einstein nodded appreciatively. The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket.
“The conductor rushed back and said, ‘Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don’t worry, I know who you are; no problem. You don’t need a ticket. I’m sure you bought one.’ Einstein looked at him and said, ‘Young man, I too, know who I am. What I don’t know is where I’m going.”
Having no goals in life or in business can create a similar dilemma for us. We may know who we are, but we may not know where we’re going. Goals help us to set a direction. They help us to develop a road map in order to successfully arrive at our desired destination.
Know Where You Are
Setting out on a road trip to an unknown destination can be an exciting adventure. The possibilities are endless when considering the options to discover new places and new people, even if that destination is across town, across the country or across the globe. When charting the course to a new destination, one has to first know where the trip will originate. What’s the starting point? From where do you begin? Your navigation device not only asks for the address of where you’re going, but also the address of where you’re starting from.
When charting a course for success in life or in business, the same principle applies. When determining where you want to be next year, in 3 years or 5 years, you must first determine where you are right now.
Know Where You Are Going
Setting goals is important to achieving success. Goals help you to focus, provide direction, assist in decision making, give motivation and a sense of purpose.
What is it you want to achieve? Is it writing a book, learning to play a musical instrument, losing weight, running a marathon, becoming the top sales executive, a promotion, starting your own business? Without defining what you are looking to achieve or where you want to be, it’s difficult to set a set a road map that will help you get to that destination.
Yogi Berra, former player and coach of the New York Yankees, humorously said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you may end up somewhere else.”
Know How to Get There
If you’re not a runner and your desire is to run a marathon, you may want to understand the effects of running such a distance, consulting your doctor, adjusting your diet, begin walking several miles per day and working up to running longer distances. If it’s becoming the top sales executive, you may need additional product training, sales training, improving cold-calling techniques and developing better leads.
When developing goals, it’s good to follow the 5-point, SMART approach. Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based.
Set your goals and develop a plan to get you where you want to be, otherwise, you may find yourself aimlessly wondering through life and your career.
Photo credit: Library and Archives Canada