Lucky Bastard!

Alas, I didn't win the lottery. You didn't either. If you did, you would be checking out the real estate section to buy a small country. Ironically, if I had won, I'd probably buy more lottery tickets.

Just thinking about my
perfect world

Though if you played - and I know you did - you probably devoted a serious amount of work time daydreaming about what you would do with the mandingo had you won.

An exercise like that is a window into your heart and soul. No, really it is.

I have blogged about big dreams and Big Things. When you find yourself in lottery reverie, pause to ask yourself, if this what I really want in life? I mean, isn't a lottery day dream nothing more than your perfect world? Some of the dream may be superficial, some of it real. Either way, herein is a reflection of your heart's desire.

So, you didn't win. So what? You haven't lost anything. But spend a little more time thinking about your perfect world, then take a moment to really consider what of that dream matters to you. Then, quest away. Quest like the wind!

Measurability

A very important component to a successful goal and effective strategy is being able to measure one’s progress.

I’m sure we all do it. On long road trips we look at the map. There is Point A and Point B. We understand that the trip is 500 miles and that it will take about 8 hours to drive. Yet we can’t help but frequently review the map to see if we have passed through Palookaville or determine how much longer it is until the next town Wherethehellamiburg.

We want to check our progress. We want to know if we’re on track and on time. It is instinctive.

A trip through the desert, with no milestones or landmarks would be a pretty lonely, frustrating journey. And even in the punishment of solitary confinement, prisoners lose their minds because they have no way of tracking “progress” or otherwise count the days they have left. They don’t know, and it is the void of uncertainty that drives them maaaaaaaad!

Likewise, it is a long, arduous journey between here and your goal. Since your goal is a personal endeavor, you might call it “solitary” since you are pursuing the goal on your own. Without any benchmark to indicate progress, it will be easy to lose sight of the goal. It will be even easier to get distracted and off course. The combination of frustration and uncertainty are the Destructive Duo who will conspire to snuff out your goal, the result of which, in my opinion, is one of life’s great tragedies.

If yours is a Big Thing goal, you likely have never attempted it before, which means that unless you plot a strategy with specificity and measurable benchmarking, you won’t know where you’re going as you traverse through unchartered territory.

Conversely, measurable results can be a source of powerful motivation. Tracking the small accomplishments along the way is the absolute best indication that you are on your way! It means your strategy is right, or that you’re making it right, and that it is all coming together!

Part of measurable success is a result of being specific. You are determined to run 10 miles on Saturday, March 10. If on Sunday, March 11 you can look back 24 hours and confirm that you did indeed run 10 miles on Saturday, then you have succeeded.

In fact, being specific in your goal making is key to measuring your progress. We have already covered the importance of being specific in marathon planning, but really this is critical to all goal making for any of your dreams.

For any of your goals to have meaning and viability, they have to exist on a map. A map in this case is a calendar. Commit your goals to a specific timeline.

Do you want to be a millionaire? How long do you think it will take you? 10 years? Mark a detailed, specific course that leads you to the wealth you want on this very day 10 years from now.

Do you want to be president? When? 20 years from now? Mark a detailed, specific course of political and public service that will lead you to the Oval Office by January 20, twenty years from now.

Think about what you have learned thus far about goals, value, strategy, and specificity. Because goals have to have meaning and personal value, ask yourself, “Why is this important to me?” “Am I committed to getting this done by such-and-such date?” “Will it change my life? Or add to it?” Such introspection will help shape your course and allow you to establish the benchmarks that indicate your progress or your need for improvement.

The best benchmarks of measurable success are what I call small goals, which are essentially the stepping stones to your uber goal.

Genie Wishes and New Year’s Resolutions

Sreaming of BIG THINGS and expecting them to happen are the central theme of this web site, but they should not be confused with rubbing a genie lamp with the expectation of granting your wishes immediately. No, you have to work for your success. And you will determine quickly that you will only sweat and toil for only those things you really care about. “Rubbing a genie lamp” is the equivalent of wishing for whatever trivial passing fancy that peels your banana.

You could say to yourself, “I wish I could play piano like that.” “I wish I had the million bucks to buy that mansion.” “I wish I could fly a plane.” “I wish I were the head of a big corporation.”

There are thousands of these kinds of wishes for every human on the planet. Some might be legitimate, but most are not. If you really, really wanted these wishes to come true, you would do something about it. You might even focus all your life’s energy in the direction of such an object. If you did, it would be a goal. If you don’t, it is just a genie wish. Unlike genie wishes, goals are meant for the hopes and dreams in life that you truly long for – real life changing or purpose fulfilling desires. Genie wishes are no different than my 4-year-old daughter’s oft repeated declarations of “I want that!” during toy commercials between cartoons. Those wishes have about as much value as the plastic used to make the toys.

And if genie wishes have as much life-fulfilling nutritional value as saccharine, then New Year’s resolutions are Nutrasweet.

Do not do New Year’s resolutions. There are no good New Year’s resolutions. Most end in failure because they are not carefully considered and likely have little purpose.

People force themselves into the hype of New Year’s resolutions as if January 1 is some special occasion on which to reset our personal clock or change our lives. Truth is, time is an abstract concept created by humans, and the Winter Solstice around which New Year’s occurs is as much a milestone in your personal chronology as, say, January 2, or April 27, or August 15. The day doesn’t matter. The act and your commitment to it are what are important.

New Year’s Resolutionists also often toss off their declarations as if they’re telling some subordinate what to do, lording over their “otherselves” as if they can bark orders and expect them to be done. “This year I resolve not to be so lardy. OK, Me, go unlard yourself. Well, get to it, fatty. Why aren’t you de-lardifying yourself?!”

Truth is, the only New Year’s resolution – the best New Year’s resolution – is the one that happens anytime of year when you truly, honestly “resolve” yourself – religiously commit yourself – to do something. You can’t just resolve to quit smoking because you know its bad for you; you have to desire to quit. You have to make – as described in the previous chapter – a decision. It has to have almost a “religious” value to you to give it meaning and purpose. Otherwise a New Year’s resolution is just another self-imposed obstacle that will lead to failure and disappointment.

Most importantly, most New Year’s resolutions lack everything necessary for a goal to be successful: value, strategy, specificity, measurability, and commitment

“When a man does a thoroughly stupid thing, it is usually done from the noblest of motives or while trying to get laid.”

Oscar Wilde

Excellent new post on Goalmaking

Whether you're preparing to run a marathon, or mentally preparing yourself for any of life's marathon challenges, this is a good page to help guide you, if I say so my own self.

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reasons for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries, merely to comprehend a little of this mystery everyday. Never lose a holy curiosity.

Albert Einstein

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

Confucius

Priorities?

das good, yah.

Ho boy. Have I become anti-running? Well, no. I've been battling for a few weeks what feels like tuberculosis. So I haven't felt at all like training for anything, let alone a leisurely run in the neighborhood.

This weekend I was supposed to run in the Providence Corporate Cup. A team of co-workers and I were going to compete on behalf of the state agency I work for. Maybe its Spring Fever and there are other, more fun things to do this weekend - like eat crawfish. Or maybe my co-workers realized they didn't want to spend their weekend with the people they stare at 5 other days of the week. Who could blame them? So the team has fallen apart, and I for one prefer to go fishing with my kids.

But make no mistake. I am loaded for bear for the Fat Boy 5K.

I'm a music lover

... which is not really a bold statement. But at least I know that when I listen to music it makes my toes tap and causes me to do embarrassing white man dance moves.

Lawd have mercy

I also know that when I hum tunes to myself, it is a subconscious signal that I am in a good mood. Sometimes when I'm down in the dumps, I can pivot from bad to good mood by listening to favorite music, which invariably causes me to sing aloud and horribly. Before I know it I am either in a good mood, or at least I'm not in a foul mood.

Actually, I first have to decide that I want to be in a good mood, which for me is not often very easy. Regrettably, I many times want to be in a bad mood. Or if I'm angry, I soak it up for a while. There is probably a shrink somewhere out there who wants to diagnose me. Slow down, Frasier! Once I decide that it is time to remove the black cloud, I can soon change my mood.

We're all all right!
Hello, Wisconsin!

Observe your own signals when you're in a good mood. Or, what are some basic behaviors you can think of that make you happy? Music - for me - is an easy way to go. Maybe for you it is a walk in the neighborhood or watching a funny show on TV. It could even be playing with a pet. Me, I like to sing

Obviously there are thousands of songs to choose. Lately I've used these to help me out:

1. "No Woman No Cry," Bob Marley and the Wailers
2. "Theme Song to 'That 70s Show'," Cheap Trick
3. "What I Got," Eric Lindell
4.  "My Style," Black Eyed Peas
5.  Foo Fighters, all of "Wasting Light"
6.  Pearl Jam, all of "Backspacer"

Anyway, you get the point now.

What happens when you drop out of a marathon and stop running altogether?

Why, you sign up for the Fat Boy 5-K in Baton Rouge. Sausage poboys, chocolate milk, beer, donuts... and that's just the pre-race meal. The Fat Boy is one of my mostest favoritest races ever. It is only a 5-K, but the top 100 finishers get a beer coozie! Does Boston give a beer coozie? Does New York serve donuts?  I don't think so.

The Fat Boy is a qualifier for the Happy's 5000, a cross-town rival that indulges in an equal amount of vice, especially cigarettes. I haven't run the Happy's 5000 yet, but I aspire to it. For now, it is only a dream. For now a 5000 is out of my reach. I'll have to settle for a 5-K instead.

Few posts lately...

Ever since the rush of the Rouge Orleans ultra relay, I have been postless. Frankly, I've been really down in the dumps.

For many reasons, I did not run the New Orleans Rock n' Roll Marathon that I was totally looking forward to. There has been tremendous pressure at work - they're firing people left and right - and I'm one of those dopes who purchased a home with an exotic mortgage. To make matters worse, I stupidly bought another home before selling the first.

So far I still have food to eat and 10 year old clothes to wear -- thank you Banana Republic for never going out of style. Right? Banana Republic isn't unfashionable yet, is it? -- but the pressure and anxiety have been breathtaking... at least for me.
I've been through this before, though more seriously than now. After that experience I resolved never to be unhappy -- or at least allow myself to get severely depressed again. So when I found myself wandering this questionable neighborhood of sad sackedness, I again resolved to escape it.
That's what I'm doing now. I'm still very bummed, anxious, frustrated, insercure, pissed, and gassy, but I'm gonna get out of it.

If you wanna see how I'm gonna do it, check it out. If not, I'll keep you posted.

New page of wisdom (POW!) at Tao of Po

"POW!" is tongue in cheek. I'm not that cute.

So we have a new page about finding your inner power. Every one wants power! The cheapest and easiest way to get it is from within.

Seriously, even the most socially awkward, talentless oaf has unique skills and power. Po of Kung Fu Panda fame demonstrates: Click. Click like the wind!