Goal Setting

[drummer]

For life to be more fulfilling, we have the opportunity to set goals. A famous quote along these lines goes something like, 'If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.' Planning is an extension of goal setting. When we have goals, we have a sense of direction to then plan our journey. Think of reaching your goals as finding that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It's there, but we have to reach out and get it. You do that by setting goals and meeting them.

There is great happiness and fulfillment in reaching goals. Use your past goals and achievements as your inspiration to do even greater things.

Happy New Year everybody!

[drumsetsnide]

This is spot on. For years I went through life with big goals and even bigger dreams. Yet I failed to develop or come up with ways to fulfill those aspirations. What was missing? It was the plan of attack that I was lacking. In addition, I was always ashamed of some of my past experiences and tried hard to hide them, burry them, and not acknowledge them. It's those very experiences that are now a part of the equation to me reaching the goals and dreams I set in place.

In order to reach the dream or goal I realized, finally, that a step-by-step plan was necessary for my success. Setting smaller, obtainable goals that pointed in the direction of the bigger goal was necessary.

It's like taking a trip. The goal is to reach the destination. But how do you get from point A to B?

The cool thing is that along the journey there can be and are at times places that I never dreamed of going while striving to reach the larger goal(s). For example years ago I had a dream of going to college to become a special education teacher. So I set out. Now, a few years later I am on my way to not only reaching the goal of going to and finishing college but I have had some really interesting and unique situations that I never dreamed of, one of which made me want to change my major and pursue a different course of action. One class and one professor had a very positive and profound impact on me. I will still finish college but I will not be a special education teacher. Instead I will become a counselor focusing on substance use and abuse. Not only that but I have been offered an internship with an organization where my professor works full-time. Who would have thought that one dream and one goal would have so many interesting and unexpected situations that would help shape my future?

Life is truly an adventure. Sometimes planning is not necessary and many times it is. But in each instance the journey can and will take you in different directions which may lead to the goal or may influence you to make a different goal.

I used to want to get from point A to point B the quickest, easiest and most direct way. Now I like to look around and enjoy the scenery and meet new people. When the road has a detour I don't focus so much on the detour adding time to the journey and being a distraction or an imposition. I may sigh but then I look at it as a new opportunity or just a part of the journey.

Can you imagine how boring life would be if all goals were easy to reach and we knew just how to get there?

[not him]

Ive done a lot in my life and think I have reached some of my goals and still reaching for the stars.I love life and enjoy every day of it. I have a saying I NEVER LIKED THE MERRY GO ROUND IT JUST GOES ROUND AND ROUND. I LIKE THE ROLLER COASTER IT GOES UP DOWN AND ALL AROUND

[pastor_bob]

Don't know how I missed this thread, but to me, living life without goals would like trying to drive to Maine without a road map. I might actually get there, but it sure would be easier with a map to plan out the route. Likewise, I might accomplish what I want in life without goals, but setting goals will get me there quicker, and easier.

[rickthedrummer]

Basically, I set 2 goals in my life:

1) Be better than Buddy Rich (Didn't happen)

2) Become the leader or part of a big band. (Didn't happen, although I did play in a big band in college)

That's why they make detour signs, sometimes you won't get where you want to go, but you wind up doing something just as good.

Life shouldn't be "easy". You have to have bad times to appreciate the good 1's. You have to take chances, they are a part of life.

I look back now to 1969, when I got out of the service. Drove a oil truck for a couple of years, got hit with some bad stuff in 1970, had some dark days, and moved on.

To sum it up. Life was not going how I thought it was going to go. Yet as I sit in my home in a beautiful neighborhood, in a nice town 45 years later, I realize that the detours I took, all worked out in the end.

[drummer]

Basically, I set 2 goals in my life:

1) Be better than Buddy Rich (Didn't happen)

2) Become the leader or part of a big band. (Didn't happen, although I did play in a big band in college)

That's why they make detour signs, sometimes you won't get where you want to go, but you wind up doing something just as good.

Life shouldn't be "easy". You have to have bad times to appreciate the good 1's. You have to take chances, they are a part of life.

I look back now to 1969, when I got out of the service. Drove a oil truck for a couple of years, got hit with some bad stuff in 1970, had some dark days, and moved on.

To sum it up. Life was not going how I thought it was going to go. Yet as I sit in my home in a beautiful neighborhood, in a nice town 45 years later, I realize that the detours I took, all worked out in the end.

That's a success story in my book. If you didn't set the bar high for yourself, you wouldn't even have gotten as far as you did. Congrats Rick!

[drummer]

Don't know how I missed this thread, but to me, living life without goals would like trying to drive to Maine without a road map. I might actually get there, but it sure would be easier with a map to plan out the route. Likewise, I might accomplish what I want in life without goals, but setting goals will get me there quicker, and easier.

Absolutely!

[Texdrumr]

Don't know how I missed this thread, but to me, living life without goals would like trying to drive to Maine without a road map. I might actually get there, but it sure would be easier with a map to plan out the route. Likewise, I might accomplish what I want in life without goals, but setting goals will get me there quicker, and easier.

Agree completely. I'm such a Type A left-brain psycho, there is no way I could live without goals. Working toward my goals are what get me through the rough days and give me something to look forward to.

Tex

[rickthedrummer]

That's a success story in my book. If you didn't set the bar high for yourself, you wouldn't even have gotten as far as you did. Congrats Rick!

Thanks Tom, I appreciate the sentiment.

Absolutely!

On the other hand, we have to tell PB that Maine isn't really that hard to find. Bangkok, yeah, maybe, but Maine...............Maine.?????

[kay-gee]

My philosophy is set the bar low enough so you aren't always disappointed.

all the best...

[rickthedrummer]

My goal now is to make it to 70.

[rallydrummer]

in my opinion, if you are happy then you are successful. success means different things to different people. its about the journey, not so much the destination :D

[rickthedrummer]

"its about the journey, not so much the destination"


Well, we all know what the destination is, so we might as well enjoy the journey.

[rallydrummer]

"its about the journey, not so much the destination"


Well, we all know what the destination is, so we might as well enjoy the journey.

exactly! you got it

[Ray on the Drums]

We just moved into the house of our dreams 3 years ago that will be paid off in 12, with super reasonable rates! Our son is on the right track to manhood! Our health couldn't be better! Oh and I got a nice zero turn mower! Now it's time to make some music!

[bongobro]

...I used to want to get from point A to point B the quickest, easiest and most direct way. Now I like to look around and enjoy the scenery and meet new people. When the road has a detour I don't focus so much on the detour adding time to the journey and being a distraction or an imposition. I may sigh but then I look at it as a new opportunity or just a part of the journey.

Can you imagine how boring life would be if all goals were easy to reach and we knew just how to get there?

I used to be like you as regards gettin' from Point A to Point B. And when I ended up at Points A1, A2, A3, A4, ad infinitum, ad nauseam, I beat myself up harder than I beat my bongos. It took me a long time to focus on those points as being part of the journey, like 'em or not.

Basically, I set 2 goals in my life:

1) Be better than Buddy Rich (Didn't happen)

2) Become the leader or part of a big band. (Didn't happen, although I did play in a big band in college)

That's why they make detour signs, sometimes you won't get where you want to go, but you wind up doing something just as good.

Life shouldn't be "easy". You have to have bad times to appreciate the good 1's. You have to take chances, they are a part of life.

I look back now to 1969, when I got out of the service. Drove a oil truck for a couple of years, got hit with some bad stuff in 1970, had some dark days, and moved on.

To sum it up. Life was not going how I thought it was going to go. Yet as I sit in my home in a beautiful neighborhood, in a nice town 45 years later, I realize that the detours I took, all worked out in the end.

Between you and me, Rick, I have heard that Buddy Rich wasn't the nicest guy on the block...so it may be just as well ya didn't go that way.

Truth is, no one knows where the road's gonna take him (or her). Make plans, but be ready to change them if you need to. You may find something even better (as you did, Rick, and, as I learn anew every day, so did I.)

[marko138]

I honestly don't have many goals. I just sorta take things as they come. I plan, sure, but I don't really have goals.

[rickthedrummer]

I honestly don't have many goals. I just sorta take things as they come. I plan, sure, but I don't really have goals.

Mark, what you plan for are your goals. Just like I'm planning on a scotch right now.

At my age, you don't make many long range plans. 2, maybe 3 days, tops.

[rickthedrummer]

"Between you and me, Rick, I have heard that Buddy Rich wasn't the nicest guy on the block."

Having had the good fortune of spending time with Buddy at his clubs, getting to know him a little, I can tell you that out of the "spotlight", he was a good guy. He was always nice to me, considering that, in his world, I was a total nobody.



I asked him for 1 to take home as a souvenir and he went into the back room and gave me 6-8 of them.

[drummer]

"Between you and me, Rick, I have heard that Buddy Rich wasn't the nicest guy on the block."

Having had the good fortune of spending time with Buddy at his clubs, getting to know him a little, I can tell you that out of the "spotlight", he was a good guy. He was always nice to me, considering that, in his world, I was a total nobody.
I asked him for 1 to take home as a souvenir and he went into the back room and gave me 6-8 of them.

Yea, but bullies have friends too. But they then bully others. There's no excuse for his behavior and he doesn't get a free pass. I'm glad that your experience was a good one. Consider yourself lucky.

[rickthedrummer]

Yea, but bullies have friends too. But they then bully others. There's no excuse for his behavior and he doesn't get a free pass. I'm glad that your experience was a good one. Consider yourself lucky.

Tom, Buddy was a complicated man. He didn't grow up in the average type of home, and really didn't have a childhood like a average kid.

I'm not trying to justify some of the things he did, but, I do understand some of it. When your name is on the product, you might look at it a little different.

I wasn't pleasant to deal with if I thought someone was slacking off and we were a club band. I don't know what I would have been like if we were famous, but the odds are good that I would have been worse than Buddy.

[drummer]

My goal now is to make it to 70.

Rick, I stumbled across this while cleaning up.