Just 50 Summers

On the recent passing of Michael Jackson, my husband remarked, "Wow! He only had 50 summers." That got me to thinking about our concept of time, goals and achievements.

Summertime is a favorite time of year for many of us - backyard barbecues, splashing in the pool, vacations with the kids, and memories of being a kid out of school for the summer. I remember summers in Michigan, picking strawberries selling them at our roadside stand, and going on vacation with the money we earned.

So, if you were able to go shopping for life's experiences and money were no object, how many summers would you put in your shopping basket? Fifty seems hardly enough, does it?

We make plans and look forward to summer yet the year seems to pass us by with indifference. It seems 50 years is a long time, yet 50 summers not nearly enough.

So how many successes do you want in your business? Well, if I'm going shopping for life's experiences, I'm going to be filling my shopping basket as full as I can with successes! I don't want to stop at fifty or a hundred!

If we looked forward to and planned for our successes like we do summer vacations - imagine how real and memorable they would be. What if we approached our business goals - our successes - with the intense planning we put into vacations? We would research the various destinations (goals), seek out the routes that would take us there (strategies), then choose the activities we wanted to take advantage of during our vacation (action plans).

Imagine the celebrating after you catch that record trout, or go zip lining in Costa Rica or find the best buys in Istanbul. Imagine the celebrating when you land that first Fortune 500 client, reach your dream revenue goals 5 years early or double your net income through some incredible contracts you were able to negotiate.

If you've been one of those who avoid making goals like Montezuma's revenge, perhaps all it would take is a paradigm shift - seeing your business goals in the same light as vacations. Just like vacations are rewards for your hard work, successful business goals are your rewards for doing business well. Plan for and cherish your goals just like you do vacations and you will walk out with a shopping basket full of success!