Know where you are going

In 1981, Eugene Lange, a very successful businessman, offered each of the sixth graders at a New York school a full four-year scholarship if they graduated from high school and were admitted to a college.

Previously, 25 percent of the students from PS 121 in Harlem graduated from high school, and 0 percent went on to college.

But this sixth-grade class had 96 percent graduate from high school and 80 percent attended college. The vision Eugene Lange provided these children motivated them to an extraordinary achievement. Vision can do the same for all of us.

Do you know where you want to be in five years? In 10 years? Does it seem possible? Take some time this week to write down your vision of your ideal life in 10 years. Be as specific as possible. For example, don’t just say, “I want to have a great job,” say, “I want to be the regional sales manager for an international pharmaceutical company, making more than $120,000 a year and loving my job so much it doesn’t seem like work.”

Don’t limit yourself to envisioning your career. Think about other areas of your life as well, such as where you will live, your health, your family, your spiritual life, etc.

Next, get on the Internet and find some people who are living your dream. Ask them how they did it. You’ll find that oftentimes, they are people much like you. That will make it easier to picture yourself achieving your vision. They may also help you develop a game plan to get you to your vision.

As the philosopher Seneca said, “Our plans miscarry because they have no aim. When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind.”

Dr. Walter Bradley is professor emeritus of mechanical engineering at Texas A&M University and CEO of Success4Students.com.

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