In his book “Outwitting the Devil,” Napoleon Hill said that a person with definiteness of purpose and definiteness of plan perseveres until he has success. In writing goals, we state our purpose definitively and know what we want. It is equally important to create a definitive plan to accomplish our goals. Our written goals are the bullseye. The plan is the aim we take to get to that bullseye. We must be definite, bold and courageous when we plan our attack to achieve the goals we set. PMA allows us to be this way, so being bold and definitive with our goals makes sense. We are preparing ourselves for success.
In creating our goals game plan, we must recognize and prepare for many things. First and foremost we must realize that there is no quick fix to accomplish something that is worthwhile. It is going to take time and effort. In our football program, we recognize this and discuss the concept of “Macte Virtute” in our goal quest. Macte Virtute is Latin and translates to “prosper by merit” or “increase in excellence.” Achieving our goals comes from consistently working towards them each and every day. It is a process that must be consistently worked toward, and we are either getting closer to our goals or falling behind every day. It also means that we will accomplish our goals through hard work and sacrifice. There are royal roads to success. Achievement of our goals comes from earning it through hard and honest work or Macte Virtute.
Planning our success makes us focus on the task at hand and hone in on what we must do. It gives us a singleness of purpose. Planning our work zeroes in on what is important and relevant to our goals and what can be a distraction. We limit distractions and focus on what needs to be done. It allows us to get in the zone. Our plans also allow us to identify obstacles that are in our way so we can confront and overcome them and move towards our mark.
The plans we make include smaller mini-goals that we achieve in sequence to achieve our bigger objective. These plans are the roadmap that we take to get where we want to go. The goal we set is the destination that we set in the GPS and the plan is the route that we choose to get us there. Like a GPS, there are a variety of ways to get to our destination. We need to choose our route and take it. If there are roads closed or detours, we have to reroute at times, but if we stay focused, we get to our destination. The destination remains constant. The routes are reliable, but sometimes need adjusting like the plans we make to achieve our goals. We do what we have to to reach our goal and our plans get us there efficiently.
If we are going to stick our neck out and move aggressively towards accomplishment, it is essential to have a prepared mind. Preparation is a key component to lasting success. Creating a game plan for achievement of our goals gets us to the end mark quickly and allows us to keep our eyes on the prize. Having a plan also makes it easier to get through adversities that arise and adjust if needs be. Having a definitive plan gets us to our goals in the most efficient and effective way. Once you know what you want, take the time to chart your course. It will get you to your destination efficiently and effectively.
Champions plan their work and then work their plan.
Win with PMA 