Today’s Pearl
In this message, Earl shares his love of “a subject it seems we can’t say too much about—goals.”
He sets the stage by delivering a story about a tiger hunter in India who was surprised by the sudden appearance of a Bengal tiger who leaped toward him. The hunter tried to get off a shot, but missed. Frightened by the sudden appearance of the hunter, the tiger leaped too wide and missed his target as well.
Upon returning to camp, the hunter began practicing his short-range shots. The next day when he ventured back out on the hunt, he spotted the very same tiger in the distance. The tiger was practicing short-range leaps.
The moral of the story is quite clear: learn from your mistakes and focus on your short-range goals.
The PM Takeaway
As property managers, we tend to live in the moment. As we get diverted from one fire to the next, rarely do we afford the time for introspection, planning and strategic thinking.
Earl suggests we have written goals. In fact, he supports having two lists: one for long-range goals and one for short-range goals. His rationale is the long-range goals are those that may take 5 or more years to attain.
While you’re on your way, it’s fulfilling to have shorter-term targets to strive for and achieve to keep your momentum going. The larger the goal, the more likely there are to be setbacks and obstacles. It’s better to pursue them, of course. But we humans tire of such pursuits unless there is gratification along the journey.
That’s why we need two lists—or at least a way to organize your goals so you can know your ultimate long-range outcomes while being able to focus on your short-range, more immediate goals that propel you toward more wins sooner.
5 Minutes to Win It
In the next five minutes, write down three long-range professional goals. These might be about your position, your portfolio, your team, and/or your responsibilities where you can see yourself truly fulfilled in 3-5 years.
Next, pick one area that, if mastered, could make the attainment of this long-range set of outcomes much easier. It might include training in communications, time management, team building, leadership, or initiating a new strategy that positions you as an exceptional contributor.
Keep this list handy and refer to it often. It may lead to incredible advances once you take some time to be deliberate in this process.
**BONUS**
To add depth to this exercise, broaden your purview to include both long-range and short-range goals in other areas of your life. They might include your physical (diet, fitness), relational (family, friends, colleagues), financial (income, net worth, debt reduction), charitable (volunteering, donations), spiritual (faith, mediation, prayer), mental (training, reading, thinking), or personal (travel, home improvement).
Feedback
If you experienced something beneficial, however briefly it may have been, please let me know. I’d love for you to share your thoughts, suggestions and struggles with me. I read every email I receive.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your day. Thanks to Earl for inspiring me to pass this message onto you.
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Earl’s Pearls
Dubbed the Dean of Personal Development, Earl Nightingale recorded over 7,000 radio programs and 250 audio programs. I’ve listened to hundreds of his recorded Insight messages since the mid-80s.
I’ve gone through his most popular program Lead The Field a dozen times or more. And I’ve given away numerous copies to people I care about as the pearls of wisdom are timeless and priceless.
So I’ve decided to capture these pearls and translate them into every day ‘property manager speak’ so you can apply them in your life immediately. My reference book for this series is his written compendium of life lessons entitled The Essence of Success.
