Young Apprentice; Do you have any advice on how to achieve my goals?
Rich Old Bastard; When I was about 15 years old, (a long time ago) I sent away for a book that promised to teach me how to get anything I wanted in life. The book said that I was to write down everything I wanted in the form of a list. It went on to say that the first thing I should do when I woke up in the morning, and the last thing before I went to sleep (because this was supposedly when the subconscious mind was most “receptive”) was to read the list out loud in the following manner…”I, R.O.B., (it said it was important to use my name) have $50,000 in the bank (for example)” and “I, R.O.B., am in a serious romantic relationship with (name of whatever female I was currently infatuated with)” and “I, R.O.B., drive a brand new Rolls Royce” and on and on until my list was complete. The book said that my subconscious mind would accept these things as fact and automatically use it’s amazing power to make these things real.
Y.A.; Cool!! And it worked?!
R.O.B.; Hell no it didn’t work! Not only did it not work, it had the opposite effect. I did everything that book said to do. I really believed it would work, and as a result I waited for my subconscious mind to get me the things I wanted, and I waited, and waited…For years I was in love with this idea. I depended on this “secret weapon” I thought I had. I tried that method numerous times over the years and it NEVER worked.
Y.A.; That sucks. It seems like a good idea, especially having a clear list of goals.
R.O.B.; It would seem so, but most times in life things are not as simple as they appear. It’s good to know what you are aiming at, but the problem with goals is that they are always, by their very nature, in the future. The trouble with that is we live in the present. I was so convinced I would achieve my goals in the future, I didn’t do anything that would have produced the desired outcome in the present.
Y.A.; Yeah, that happens to me too! How do I fix it?
R.O.B.; You have to mentally “connect” the future to the present. Instead of imagining yourself already in possession of your goal and not concerning yourself with how you are going to get it (as my mail-order book, and many others before and since have advised) you have to have some kind of action plan. Visualize yourself actually doing the things that will result in your goal’s eventual attainment.
When you write your goal, you must include an action that needs to be taken NOW. For example; “I will have $50,000 by January 1. In order to have that money, I will NOW work on my (business project, marketing plan, product creation etc.) until 8:00 p.m. or until it is done.” Or “I want to win first place in the upcoming marathon, (or whatever). In order to maximize my chances I will NOW run 10 miles (or whatever).”
“Tomorrow” never comes, all we really have is right now. The sooner you get going, the better chance you have of getting what ever it is you want. The longer you wait, the less likely goal achievement becomes. Focus on right now, and the future will take care of itself.
Y.A.; That makes total sense.
R.O.B.; Remember, to have what you want tomorrow, you must pay the price today!