Thu, 01 Jan 2004 15:59:15 GMT

Happy New Years! I hope each of us has a healthy, prosperous, and happy 2004. I'm not one for making lots of resolutions that will be broken within the first two weeks of January. What's the point? However, I do like to re-examine my goals, evaluate my progress over the previous year, fine-tune my expectations, and create a new set of goals that I can work towards completing over the next 12 months. Setting goals is as much an art as a science. It's easy to quantify a goal and set a date for its completion, but working through all the problems reaching that goal involves an unbreakable belief that the goal is worth accomplishing. One of the ways I approach accomplishing a goal is to set aside a bit of time each week to daydream about having completed the goal and thinking about what I had to do to make it happen. This type of visualization is helpful when I come back to the present and use what I've imagined to move towards the future I've already envisioned. Another criteria I consider when goal setting is whether or not I can create any passion for achieving the goal. If not, why bother? I read a book nearly three decades ago that has set the standard for how I approach setting and achieving goals and I haven't found a better book since. I've read Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, several times over the years and each time I notice something I didn't catch before. I heartily recommend this book. Don't just buy it, read it and put what it teaches into practice. Growing rich can mean a lot of things besides just acquiring money. Life experiences, friendship, getting better at some skill, doing something you've always wanted to do, or finding free time for relaxing are all parts of being richer. Don't limit your thinking or your potential. It's a new year and the possibilities are limitless.

John L. Dilbeck: Book Suggestions

The 9/11 Commission Report