ONE THING…JUST ONE THING IN 2013

“When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world.  I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation.  When I found I couldn't change the nation, I began to focus on my town.  I couldn't change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family.  Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family.  My family and I could have made an impact on our town.  Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world.”  ~Author Unknown

Towards the end of 2012, I was privileged to be part of a radio panel that for three hours were discussing the subject of Goal Setting on one of the leading Christian radio stations in Uganda.

I also happen to be the Host of the Hour of Prayer on that same radio station every weekday morning from 5:00 am to 6:00 am East African Time.

I remember someone calling on that goal setting show and asking this: “How many goals can I have in one year?”

At face value, that question seems theoretical and even academic. Yet the more I think about it, I come to realize that that question was extremely important not only to be asked but also to be answered and to be answered well!

First, the essence of goal setting is not just to set goals for the sake of setting goals. The spirit is to accomplish the goals.

That being said, it is important to answer that question: “How many goals can I have in one year”? Two goals? Three goals? May be four? 

What do you think? I think it is really up to you as an individual to determine how many goals you want…but the catch is on accomplishing and not just setting the goals.

What did I answer this caller on the radio? I told him that goal setting is a completely personal issue and as such, it is them to determine the number of goals that they can set. I however told him that being human, we experience life in at least eight dimensions, and for the sake of balance, it is important that he sets a goal in at least each of these eight spheres of our lives.

I told him to have a goal regarding his Mental sphere

I told him to have a goal regarding his Finances

I told him to have a goal regarding his Business (or career)

I told him to have a goal regarding his Relationships

I told him to have a goal regarding his Lifestyle

I told him to have a goal regarding his Spiritual Life

I told him to have a goal regarding his Physical Life

And I told him to have a goal regarding his Family.

I have however come to learn that there is great power in focusing on one thing. In 2012 for example, my theme for the whole year was R.E.C.O.N.N.E.C.T.

This means that as much as there were many other pursuits throughout the year, the one thing that was non-negotiable for me was to reconnect.

We all operate subconsciously with the ‘one thing’ formula in our lives. In fact, in 2013, I guarantee you that many people’s ‘one thing’ is to get married. I have already talked about it here, that if the preparations for weddings would be copied and pasted in other pursuits of our lives, success in our lives would be phenomenal!

For other people, their ‘One thing’ is to have a child. Others is to build a house, still others would want to earn that degree, or the Masters, or the Phd. We all have this one MAJOR thing that we really desire (finances being a constant)

Preparing yourself and desiring several things in the eight spheres of your life is absolutely important. I have already said that software becomes hardware. It is important that all our desires are documented, strategic plans for their achievement drawn and well presented on paper (or a book).

However, it will be extremely important for us to select one major heart desire for 2013 and put all our attention and focus on it. In other words, this ONE THING MUST BY ALL MEANS COME TO PASS in 2013, come rain or sunshine.

Our accomplishments of 2013 will depend on how we break down the big picture into small and manageable pieces and knock them off, one step at a time.

You will realize one thing: that success is linked up. You will realize that if your focus was for example on your physical life, you will notice that for a reason or another, that focus will automatically affect your relationships…if you chose to go to a gym for example.

If your ONE MAJOR focus was on Finances for example, you will find out that for some reason, this pursuit will positively affect your life style. If your focus was on your physical life, you will notice that it might affect your mental life. If your focus was on your Business, you will notice that it will directly affect your finances.

In 2013, I challenge you to select on big and major desire/goal and make it a must to be achieved by a particular timeframe. 

Sit down and structure a plan of accomplishing this. Enumerate all the resources you might need, all the people you might need. Look at all the possibilities available at your disposal in accomplishing this major goal. 

Go one step ahead and craft a daily or weekly ‘attendance register’ for all the action points that you are to take to accomplish this major goal.

This is the surest way of exorcising that ghost of New Year resolutions that is always that—a ghost, present on January 1^st and absent the rest of the year.

And as you focus on ‘one thing’ you will realize that you finished reading a book one chapter at a time, you put the money together for the project one dollar at a time, you got the crowd following you one person at a time, you built the house one brick at a time. 

Let us not be paralyzed by many things…they encourage procrastination. Let us be energized by one thing, it calls for immediate action!

Have a ghost-free 2013 won’t you?