While watching ESPN’s 30 for 30 entitled “Broke”, I heard Herm Edwards say “Every goal needs to have a plan or else it’s just a wish.” The context was regarding athletes and the way they handle money, but I thought it was a perfect quote for more than just money.
As someone that works with college students on a regular basis, I see this problem all the time. People want things but they don’t always know how to get those things. Even worse are the people that don’t really want to work for those things that they say they want.
I’ve often said that hope is not a strategy. Sure we want to have hope but that can’t be all. It’s very similar to wishing. Wishing is also not a very good strategy. The Bible even has a verse that says ‘Faith without works is dead’. The late singer, Rich Mullins, wrote similar lyrics when he said ‘Faith without works is like a screen door on a submarine’. You can’t just want or wish for something to happen, you need to do something about this. You need to work up a plan to achieve your goal.
Author John Ortberg has stated that ‘If you want to walk on water than you’ve got to get out of the boat.’ This is similar to what I heard Bobby Knight say once ‘Every one has the will to win but not everyone has the will to work to win.”. Yes, having faith or dreams is a start, but action has to go into these goals in order to have a better chance to be successful.
What are your goals? It’s important to define them. But go further, what is your plan to achieve them? Former NFL quarterback, Todd Blackledge, once said ‘Work will win when wishing won’t’. Just remember that it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.
Jamy Bechler is the executive director of U-Leadership and a John Maxwell Certified Leadership Speaker and Coach. Contact him at CoachBechler@CoachBechler.com to find out how you or your team can be more successful.