March of the Penguins - Perserverance Pays!

A winner is someone who sets their goals, commits themselves to those goals and then pursues their goals with all the ability that is given to them. That requires someone who believes in themselves, who will make self sacrifices, work hard, and maintain the determination to perform at the best of their ability.
- C. Leeman Bennett

Only one person and one person only will determine how good of an athlete you become ... You will become as good as you let yourself be. That one person is you!

A long time ago I learnt a vital lesson that has helped me so much through my own struggles. It is that 'fear' often results in a type of paralysis, which leads to inactivity, inactivity leads to failure and consistent failure leads to defeat.

Last night I watched the documentary entitled "March of the Penguins". I was fascinated by these penguins and under the conditions in which they survive, mate, and give birth. I found it quite motivational. Who knew penguins could be so motivating.

I find January a very interesting month. People are either extremely excited about the New Year and are busily setting their goals; or people are evaluating their life as the Holiday Season brings a lot of stress and the need for change because of that stress. I have always spent the month of December reflecting and setting my own goals. I find that the down-time of the month allows me to do this. I am one of those people who really needs to have goals and I love the process of planning to achieve those goals. I am very much a results oriented person and love the pursuit of becoming better as an athlete and a person.

However, I know that some people struggle with the process of staying on track toward their goals. If my friend Chad was reading this, he would be very happy to see that I am going to suggest some of Peter Drucker's stuff here to help with the process of achieving your goals by working on some of the following:

Set priorities- Outline 3 to 5 things that most need to get done to achieve your goals.
Get Organized- Getting results means getting and using resources. People, Money, Materials, Support, and Time. Figure out who and what you need to help you.
Be Bold- Sometimes producing results involves pushing the envelope, taking chances, and trying bold new initiatives. This may lead to misfires and mistakes but also better results. Treat any mistakes or failures as chances to learn. Up your risk comfort.
Stop Procrastination- Plan your time and manage against it. Take time to plan and set priorities. It actually frees up more time later than just diving into things and hoping that you can get it done.
Be Persistent- Friends tell me often that this is my strength. I tend to agree as I think everything and anything is achievable, possible and solvable. Break things down into smaller pieces, or try switching approaches.
Know your No's- Part of maturity is letting go of nice, even fun and probably valuable, activities. Understand what is important and what is not. Learning to say "no" to people and things that interfere with our goals is an important step to achieving our goals.

The list goes on but I think for individuals I coach and my friends, these are the main "noise" inhibitors to achieving goals.