- Victoria Vasilca
Set your goals, See your path (SH-12)
Guest Blogger Victoria Vasilca
"If you don’t know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else."
–Lawrence J. Peter
Have you set your goals? Where are you going? What's your path?
I have talked about setting goals and taking action, and now I want to share with you the first step to take on your path to success!
You have set your goal, you know where you are going, but have you remembered to highlight your path?
Can you imagine going on a trip and not checking with your favorite map app to see how long the drive will be?
Is it all highway or back country roads? What if there are tolls or construction along the way? Will there be sufficient areas to refuel on the way to your destination? Are there scenic views you can stop and visit or how about traffic jams to avoid?
I remember the old days before our trusty onboard GPS, or even the maps we would print out with the step by step instructions, to plan our trips we had those big Atlas maps with all the states and the big cities!! I loved them, loved being able to envision the path of our travels on those huge books. I'd look at it first, get my bearings, then go for that big yellow highlighter and trace the path. I took joy in that task because I knew the end result would lead me in the right direction and keep me on a safe, well traveled path.
PLANNING = SUCCESS
Now that you know where you are going, the path to success is in your hands! In order to achieve those goals, you have to open your eyes and get the whole picture. So many times I have set a goal and tried to jump right from setting to getting...... Little thought did I give to the process.
One of my first lessons about process is one I'll never forget!
My dad took our family on a kayaking trip to the Youghiogheny River, at the time I was in my early teens and I had never been in my own boat on that level of water. Yes, we had boated the Swatara Creek and the Susquehanna River but the Yough was big water for me. I set a goal that run to not swim. I didn't want to fail and to me failure would have been having to exit my boat. I had to have a plan to achieve that goal!
I could see the look in my dad's eyes; a mix of pride, and anxiety with a little dash of fear. He knew I was still green at boating, yet he saw my YES, I CAN attitude and wanted me to achieve my goal. We were finally in the water and headed down river. It was early into the run and I kept thinking cockily to myself(and possibly out loud).....I'm Paul's daughter, I can do this, I'm not gonna swim.... kayaking is in our blood! Dad was encouraging me to set a plan, he kept saying REMEMBER you have to be aware of everything on the river, you cannot simply look down river and see where you need to end up, you have to take in all the points of your journey! If you are at point A and need to get to point C you have to look at B and gauge your trip from there. You have to have a plan, whether you make it through the rapid or have to exit-- YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN!!!!
I watched others go through the rapid and of course, I was the kid that said OK, Dad! I've got this! Let me go! I didn't fully absorb the necessity of gauging the trip or even consider point B in my plan to get from the top of the rapid to the safety of the flat water but off I went. SO at the very spot I should have went river right I went river left and SPLAT, in the water I went. I didn't highlight my path properly and panicked. Luckily I had remembered the "exit" plan and saw the safety line and swam hard for it. I very easily could of lost a lot more than my pride that day. Thankfully, I was with an experienced team of boaters who knew the plan and stuck to it.
I learned a lot that day, plan first, guage your steps, double check you are on the right path and then proceed.
Just because you don't see bumps or roadblocks in your path doesn't mean there aren't any there. Make sure you are scoping out the whole journey. Look at every step along the way, make sure to check them off your todo list so that you can achieve your goals.
REMEMBER
You can't get from point A to point Z without first visiting and understanding all the points in between.
What is the best way to highlight your plan and stay steady on your path to success?
It's been proven, if you stay focused on what you need to achieve your success your goal will be obtainable.
Stay alert on your path:
Have faith
Believe in yourself
Declare your goals
Communicate with experienced people about your goal
Be humble
Educate yourself
Remember the points in between
.
Remember you have the tools for success, now have faith in yourself.
VV
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