I have been talking about a book titled “First You Have To Row A Little Boat”, by Richard Bode. Now a different tale about a little boat that thought it could.
In 1998 there was a little known, underachieving and unremarkable rowing team in the UK that decided on an absurd and audacious goal. They were going to win the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
Their mantra became, will it make the boat go faster? They challenged everything they did with this mantra. If it did, they kept doing it, if it didn’t, they would try something different.
They did this for two years making many tiny decisions every day that drove them forward till the Olympics on September 25th, 2000. They not only medaled but won the gold.
We are like them in many ways in that we make many little decisions every day that determine where we are going. Some take will move us closer and other will move us away from our goals.
These decisions will determine who we will become. You are never standing still whether you think so or not. Are you interested in keeping yourself fit? Then maybe you want to get off the couch and go to a watercise class at the gym.
Is your goal to have great relations with your grandchildren, then maybe you want to watch them play soccer on Saturday rather than spend all your time at the golf course.
This is when knowing your values and setting goals that compliment them are so important. It will help you make those daily little decisions that drive you to where you want to be. You need a question through which you can filter everything in life.
In everything you do, do it with focus, passion and purpose. What is your mantra going to be? Remember it’s the many little, tiny decisions that direct our lives.
Next week I plan on talking about the purpose driven passions of some prominent people and what they pursued in their lives and how these actions tie in with their goals.
If you have struggled with this question and others then go to Patterson2Y2R,com/blog should be a place you should visit to share your stories and challenges. I have an ear that would love to hear your stories. Let’s taste the real meaning of life.
I am still working on my course with a goal of launching a starter course by June 30th, and I will keep you abreast as to how the process goes.
If you want to participate in this process and join my first class please send me an email to bobchuckpatterson@yahoo.com
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