[2020-08-17] Write It Down, Make It Happen
When I was 42, I wrote down this goal: become an EX-03 at 45. Having achieved that objective, precisely on schedule, I wrote another one: become an EX-04 at 50. I achieved that one too.
What spurred me to commit these ambitions to paper was a book that I read in 2008: Write It Down, Make It Happen. Author Henriette Anne Klauser believes that "life is a narrative you have a hand in writing." The premise of her book is that we are more likely to achieve the goals we write down than the ones we merely contemplate.
I was reminded of this book when I saw it on my son's night table the other day. I wondered whether I could apply the philosophy to my current health challenge.
Admittedly, most of the examples Klauser includes in her book relate to career and life goals. For example, long before he was famous and had become the first actor in history to earn $20 million for a single film, actor Jim Carrey wrote a cheque to himself for $10 million. Similarly, before creating the Dilbert comic, Scott Adams wrote 15 times a day: "I will become a syndicated cartoonist." And at age 28, Lou Holtz wrote a list of goals, including becoming head coach of football at Notre Dame and winning a national championship, which he reached, along with a long list of other intentions.
Among the other goals I wrote at 42 were to be fit and healthy and to use my writing talents to enrich the lives of others. Under the current circumstances, these seem like worthwhile objectives to dust off and recommit to.
I will return to health. And I will use my writing to influence and motivate others. I'm already doing what I can to achieve these aspirations, by focusing on getting better and walking at least 10,000 steps per day, and by writing daily posts in this blog.
To these two goals, I would add the following: I will enjoy a long marriage with my new husband—at least as long as our 30-year engagement. I will be present for my kids and my family for many years to come. I will be a force for good in the lives of friends, colleagues and strangers.
This is the first time I'm writing down these goals, so they're still a little vague. I'll sharpen them in the days ahead. Klauser says that the clearer the goal, the more you believe in it and the more likely you are to achieve it.
In addition to writing in sufficient detail, Klauser says that you should go beyond writing what you want to identifying why you want it. Explain the difference that achieving the intention will have on your life. "The more you concentrate on the effects your goal will have, in your life and in the world, the more dedicated you can be in your mission to achieve it," she says.
Why do I want to achieve these goals? Because, at my core, I'm a helper. In fact, a personality test I did early in my career—some 30 years ago—mapped me to the helper identity. I have so much more to offer the world than I have been able to accomplish in 54 years.
As a friend sang in a song he gifted to me, "There's gotta be a song left to sing." There is, and I intend to sing it—for a long time.
Photo courtesy of Simon & Schuster
