“I don’t think there’s any such thing as setting your goals too high. The higher you set your goals, the more you are going to work. If you don’t reach them, then it’s okay, just as long as you set it and then give 100% of yourself.” - Dan Jansen
A few weeks ago in the Performance Zone newsletter I wrote about “writing it down.” I was referring to goals, dreams, vision, things that you want etc.
At conference some time ago another speaker made the direct statement that you should stop writing things down because it just doesn’t work. If it worked you’d already have everything you’ve already written down, right?
He then went on to make jokes about several of the top trainers in the industry of personal development. Never directly mentioning them by name but making strong references that left no doubt as to whom he was talking about.
Excuse me?
Let me ’splain you something about this nonsensical BS because my experience shows otherwise.
For years, one could say centuries, possibly millennia people have been writing things down.
Plato, Socrates and Aristotle wrote things down.
Marcus Aurelius, Cicero and Seneca wrote things down.
Vasco de Gama, Magellan and Ponce de Leon wrote things down.
The Magna Carta, the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are written down.
The great thinkers, poets and artists throughout history….wrote things down.
Ted Williams, Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, Muhammad Ali, Pele and Lance Armstrong all wrote things down.
Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist & Five-time World Champion in Taekwondo Steven Lopez writes things down.
Tony Robbins, Brian Tracy, Zig Ziglar, Dr. Maxwell Maltz, Napoleon Hill, Denis Waitley, Steven Covey, Mark Victor Hansen, Jim Rohn and Larry Thompson all wrote or write things down.
Bill Gates, Carlos Slim and Warren Buffet - the 3 wealthiest individuals on the planet according to Forbes Magazine - all write things down.
As an athlete, an entrepreneur and in all areas of my life I write things down. Especially my goals.
So do people exist that actually achieve things without writing things down? Yes Virginia they do exist.
I’m not implying that it’s impossible to reach your dreams without writing them down, just more likely. The process of putting the pen to paper assists your mind to focus on what you want.
The above mentioned individuals are examples and darn good ones, of the effectiveness of writing down your goals and any other ideas that you have.
You can choose to take the easy way or you can choose to take the effective way. That choice is uniquely yours.
The best is yet to come!
David Martin
Master Performance Coach
