34 HOURS

2 Questions and Stats I recently read:

1. What percentage of adult Americans do you think have written an specific long-range goals?
Answer: Less than 3%

Why: "If I write down a goal and don't reach it, what have I done? I have failed.......We avoid failing by not placing ourselves in situations where we might fail."

2. What percentage of the American people at age 65 can put their hands on ten thousand dollars in cash?
Answer: Less than 5%

Why: "Without setting specific goals most people in this country will not achieve financial security."

"A goal is a planned conflict with the status quo. By definition, then, reaching a goal means doing something new, leaving familiar, comfortable terrain of our comfort zones and exploring new frontiers." Hyrum Smith, "10 Natural Laws ...."


Wow! As the time ticks away towards the New Year, I am getting more nervous by the second. I really try to set realistic goals. I induced so much unneeded stress upon myself early in my Melaleuca career by setting unrealistic goals, only to not meet them, and then to feel defeat and failure.

This often happened not because I was unwilling, rather I didn't even know what activity I needed to personally do to reach the goals I had set. I really believed that if I just worked my heart out and believed enough that I could reach any goal I wanted. There is truth in that, but the problem is that I lacked one important detail....TIME. I thought I should achieve my goals in months or weeks, when in reality the goals I had set with the activity and time I had allowed set me up for failure at the start.

Over time, I have learned how to set better goals for myself. I have learned that my goals need to be very action specific, detailed and timely. I have also learned to accept the fact that ... it is better to set goals a little too high and fall an inch short, than to refuse to set any goals because missing them causes me to feel things like inadequacy or failure. When I take the road of the latter statement, I find that I become stagnant, bitter and complaining. However, if I set a lofty goal and even if I miss it by a hair, the defeat I feel is nothing in comparison to the feelings of being in a "flat spot" or going backwards from where I had been before.

Experiencing both kinds of "failure" actually puts a lot in perspective. My goal of reaching senior director in 6 months working only 20 hours a week is a LOFTY out of my comfort zone goal. It is realistic though. In July of 2006, when I did NOT know what I was doing, I quit my teaching job and began working towards Senior Director. In the next 9 months I enrolled 66 personal customers and developed 9 directors. In the last 11 months, as Jen Coffel advanced to Executive Director 3 and developed two personal senior directors, she enrolled 54 personal customers and developed 7 directors.

Knowing the statistics or the work of what it takes. I have set a goal of enrolling 52 personal customers and developing AT LEAST 7 new directors in 6 months. That means every week I must work my 20 hours and be VERY intentional with my time.

Obviously, I have a large business and I cannot neglect it. So I will work an additional 10-20 hours on it. I will keep a meticulous log though. I want to become a Senior working 20 hours a week more for everyone that I enroll in the future than for myself. It will be a bar that is set for all to see and know it is possible.

Why? You may wonder, why would an executive director put herself out there? You may be thinking, "When I get to exec, I'm not going to push anymore."

BECAUSE, when we give up the possibility of failing we also give up the possibility of growing, succeeding and becoming more of who God created us to be. So here is to the possibility.. now 33 hours and counting.