»It will be as small as the desire that controls it, as great as the aspiration that dominates it» – James Allen.
It seems that we become what we think about most of the time, and what do leaders think about? The future, where they’re heading, and what they can do to get there.
Everyone else is preoccupied with the present or the past, with the pleasures and problems of the moment – things that can no longer be changed.
For effective personal strategic planning, we need to start by developing a long-term vision for our lives. Hence the importance of dreaming, of imagining what our future will be like, and of what we will do to achieve it.
But of course, to get anywhere, we first need to know where we want to go and set ourselves goals – whilst always staying true to ourselves and to what we enjoy – because, after all, happiness lies in the journey itself.
Taking action, getting started and keeping going is, perhaps, the hardest part. You have to be persistent. However, to achieve a different result from those obtained so far, you have to take different actions. The daily grind, personal commitments, tiredness… all of these things prevent us from starting what we know we need to do to achieve those dreams and, of course, from sticking to our goals.
To be persevering, you need to be motivated. The question is: how can you avoid giving up in the face of problems and keep moving forward? Without ever losing sight of the outcome we’re hoping for – the one that makes it all worthwhile to keep fighting. But that’s easier said than done; it’s something each of us must find within ourselves.