Construction Marketing Ideas

Dreams, goals and vision

I'm sure if you have read any of the motivational books and heard the speakers, you'll know you are supposed to set goals, and put the goals in writing. Furthermore, your goals should be realistic but stretch your present reality. And, at a higher level, the goals should be congruent with your values and principals, and reflect your passionate interests.

Fair enough. And true. But the more I learn about life, the more I realize that believing, implementing and applying these rules creates an environment of amazing inconsistencies -- and you will soon find that one right decision within this framework is counterbalanced by a wrong one.

For example, there is a lot of stuff around that says you should enjoy what you like; but that success results from delayed gratification. If you passionately believe in a political cause, I can guarantee you that someone else equally legitimately passionately believes in a directly opposing cause. You both have goals, they are 'correct' but they are certainly in conflict -- and while it is possible to merge interests and achieve peace (a laudable goal for idealists), many less than perfect wars often result from the passionate battling of conflicting goals, visions and values.

How do you meld these contradictions into a cohesive approach that takes you where you really want to go in life? Beyond religious and spiritual answers, I believe a creative application of the 80/20 rule may be helpful. That is, follow the guideposts of the majority of 'experts' either within your trade, or within the parameters of motivational guidelines and leadership, 80 per cent of the time -- set your goals, practice your affirmations, work at your passions, and watch your health. Then, throw the rule book away for 20 per cent -- perhaps your most important 20 per cent -- of your time/life/money. Be careless. Watch a low-brow television show. Play bingo. Eat fast food. Squander money on an impulsive purchase. Get drunk. (Obviously I am not advocating any of these things if there is a serious danger to your health or circumstances -- for example, if you are an alcoholic, taking 'one drink' would be more than dumb).

My point is that breaking the rules of success will help unleash your creativity and perhaps bring you closer to understanding the circumstances of the great mass who do not set goals, have vision, or achieve any level of greatness. For me, at least, achieving success is not losing touch with the 'real world' -- We can strive for perfection, but we I believe will only achieve our true place in life by allowing and embracing our imperfections. Have fun.