Why I Have No Goals

Maybe it’s because I was a young adult in the Dress-for-Success, go-go 80’s and retain vivid memories of those hollow days.

Maybe it’s because Pennie and I had close friends who stepped on the landmines of “Get Rich in Real Estate With No Money Down,” “How To Make Millions Selling Soap,” and other glistening schemes promoted by effervescent conmen with perfect teeth who said, “You can do it. You’re a winner.”

Maybe it’s because the positive-thinking cult believes Man is God and this disturbs me to the core of my soul.

Or maybe I’m just a Grinch who doesn’t like to hear the singing of the happy Whos in Whoville. You be the judge. But the truth is that I have no goals and I’m annoyed by conversations about them. Does this shock you?

“Goal,” in my experience, is a favorite word of people who talk and dream and dream and talk. And then they get together to “network” with other talkers. There’s always a lot of noise in these meetings but it’s unlikely than anything of consequence is going to happen. People who chatter about goals are rarely willing to die on that mountain.

I have no goals. But I do have plans.

A plan puts you in motion toward a destination. The destination you choose is irrelevant. It is (1.) motion, (2.) determination and (3.) commitment that separate destination-reaching explorers from goal-setting chipmunks.

Count the cost, explorer. “Am I willing to die on this mountain?”

There are laws against discharging firearms. They’re loud and noisy and someone might get hurt. But discharging a firearm isn’t the same as “shooting with intent to kill.”

“Intent.” That’s the word. Plans have intent. Goals do not.

A goal without a plan is wishful thinking.

A plan without action is self-delusion.

Wizard Academy helps people get where they’re trying to go. We teach people of action. We have little time for drifters who just want to talk and dream and sigh.

Do you remember the 3 questions I asked you to answer in a recent Monday Morning Memo about my friend, David Rehr?

1. What are you trying to make happen?

2. How will you measure success? 3. What’s the first thing you need to do to get started?

I asked 43,000 readers to send me their answers to these questions. Doubtless, everyone who read the memo thought about doing it. But only 0.7 percent – 307 people – actually pulled the trigger and rode the bullet.

Here’s where that bullet will take them:

Thursday, July 9th at Wizard Academy, a 1-day workshop.

Checklist for Your Journey of 1,000 Miles:

Things You’ll Need Along the Way.

This 1-day workshop is $750 and a bargain at that price.

The 307 riders of the bullet whose names appear on this list will be allowed to register for only $50 (approximately what it costs the academy – per person – to cater lunch and dinner.) Normally we’d be magnanimous and pick up the tab for everyone, but tower construction has squeezed the bank account dry. Sorry about that.

Twenty-six hundred years ago Lao-Tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”

Take that first step. Be in Austin on July 9th as we create the Checklist for Your Journey of 1000 Miles. It's going to be a challenging, disturbing, inspiring, life-changing day.

Are you coming or not?

Roy H. Williams