On a chilly, foggy morning on July 4, 1952, Florene Chadwick waded into the waters of the Pacific Ocean off Catalina Island in an attempt to swim the 21 miles across the Catalina Channel to the shores of Palos Verdes in Southern California. The fog was so thick she could hardly see the support boats which moved along the water with her. Florence’s mother and trainer were in one of the support boats encouraging her as she trudged through the water for over 15 hours. Support personnel in other boats used rifles to scare off sharks. At one point, Florence Chadwick could go no further and asked to be removed from the water. Her mother told her she was close and could surely make it. Physically and emotionally exhausted, Florence stopped swimming and was taken out of the water. It was then, as she sat up in the boat that she realized she was only half a mile away from achieving success. Later, Florence told a reporter, “I’m not making excuses for myself, but if I could have seen land (her goal), I know I could have made it.”
See and Know the Goal
Sometimes, seeing a goal achieved in your mind’s eye is necessary to keeping the goal a priority. Having a vision for what you want to accomplish helps one to focus on what needs to be done along the path to accomplishing it. Leaders have the difficult challenge of helping others see success long before success is achieved.
Two months after her failed attempt, Florence Chadwick tried again to swim the 21 miles from Catalina Island to Palos Verdes. The fog was just as thick, but this time, with a mental image of the shoreline forged in her mind, she made it, breaking a 27-year-old record by more than two hours and becoming the first woman ever to complete the swim.
Failing to achieve her goal the first time out did not make Florence Chadwick a failure, it made her more focused. It helped her to see in her mind what the goal was, even though she could not physically see the shoreline while moving toward it.
Remind Yourself and Others of the Goal
Reminding yourself and others of the goals you are attempting to achieve is important to the achievement of those goals. It’s easy to lose sight of the finish line when so many other things cause us to be distracted. Quarterly goals should be reviewed weekly. Annual goals should be reviewed at least monthly. Talk about the goals and track the goals to ensure progress is being made. Keep your goals in sight, or, as the old saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind.”
Achieve the Goal
Achieving a goal is satisfying and rewarding. If one sets a goal, it’s important to stay focused on that goal as well as setting time aside to work on it. There will certainly be distractions, roadblocks, frustrations, delays, and sometimes a desire to give up on the goal. When this happens, push through. Failing to achieve a goal is different than giving up on a goal. Sometimes, adjustments have to be made, a new game plan needs to be developed, or a reassessment needs to occur. Set achievable goals that stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone and you will experience great feelings of satisfaction upon reaching your destination (goal).