Jack Canfield said “One of the reasons most people don’t get what they want out of life is that they fail to decide and define in clear detail what it actually is that they want.”. I would say it a different way. You can’t fearlessly pursue goals that you haven’t clearly articulated.
In clearly defining and stating the things you want, there is a fine balance between reinforcing your goals in everything you do and appearing self-centered and materialistic. This is a battle that I have fought since I was very young, as my parents taught me early on that I could do and be anything that I wanted. Nothing wrong with that, right?
Much to my surprise, that same confidence that is the foundation of my fearlessness was often misinterpreted by others as arrogance.
I have learned over the years that it is essential as a part of this journey to show your heart to others and not just your determination and drive. Although completely counterintuitive, I believe that vulnerability is actually strength. Hence the transparency of this very blog.
Back to knowing where you are going. For me, if what I do only produces incremental change, it is likely that I will get bored with the endeavor. I want to be a part of changing the world and having a significant impact (aka, Purpose). I have always been an iconoclast, breaking the mold and being dissatisfied with the status quo. That has been true with my various roles when I was still a part of Corporate America and it was equally true when I consulted. Now that I am building technology for the travel industry, I am solving big problems that have been ignored by my industry and then am giving back of my profits to charity. As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog about Purpose, trait #2, I call that changing the world, one trip at a time.
I may have to wait longer than most to see the fruits of my labors, but I know that when I do “arrive” that the journey will have been worth it. To be more clear, I want to be the CEO of a well-funded technology company that changes the travel industry.
For the first few years of this endeavor, I funded what I was doing, without obligation to outside investors. That came out of my experience losing $6m of an investor’s money to a spectacular failure in my first technology company. Then, I realized that in order to create a strong foundation, getting the support of family and friends would be crucial. Now that the foundation is in place, it is time to raise money to scale. I am no longer fearful of outside investors. I used to see taking in outside investment as failure. Now I see it as acknowledging our successes and our potential!
This time it is all on me and I’m ready to take responsibility because I know my purpose and have set my goals.
#1, #2 and #3 – check.
How about you? Do you need to set new goals?