Goals – Dave Glardon

Gravity Too Strong for the Bathroom Scale?

January 27, 2023January 27, 2023 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning, and happy Friday! I hope your day is off to a great start.

So, scientists have determined the earth’s core may be slowing down in its rotation and could be getting ready to turn the other way. Not the earth – just the core. Excuse me? Aren’t these things connected? When the outside of my tires turn in a different direction than the center, that usually means I’m about to have a really bad day.

But the experts say this is just a natural cycle, and nothing bad is about to happen. That’s comforting. Of course, these are geologists. Anybody who has watched Big Bang Theory knows how Sheldon Cooper feels about them. I have no real opinion except I doubt they actually took the elevator down to see what’s really happening.

Apparently, the core is molten rock that is free to sit still or spin in any direction, regardless of what we’re doing way up here on the surface. And when this happens it affects the gravitational pull of the earth’s core. I stopped reading at that point, because now I know why my weight is going the wrong way. It’s not me – it’s gravity.

Don’t take my word for it. A quick Google search will show your weight on any planet in the solar system, and they’re all different. On Mars, I only weigh 98 pounds. On the sun, I’d weigh closer to four tons. So, let’s not go there. I hear it’s hot all the time, and no beaches at all. As if I could find a bathing suit that big anyway.

In a nation where 41% of the adult population is obese, it’s safe to say I’m not alone. I don’t know who decides what we should weigh, but I’m not a huge fan. Still, I know I need to do something about it. You know, besides throwing away the scale. It doesn’t matter, because my doctor has one of her own, and hers is broken. Don’t argue.

At the start of each new year, weight loss ranks among the top in terms of personal improvement goals. We all want to look better and be healthier. But it’s hard, especially with our microwave mentality that says if the results aren’t evident in 60 seconds, we’re doing it all wrong.

Well, weight loss is like any other worthwhile goal. It takes time. Fad diets don’t work, at least not in the long term. Try making small changes, one at a time. Things you can live with for the long haul. When those are going well, make one or two more changes. It takes time, but the results will be worth it. That much I can promise.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!

How’s That Brick Wall Treating You?

January 20, 2023January 20, 2023 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning, and happy Friday! I hope your day is off to a great start!

I went to work yesterday. You know, to the office. I haven’t been there in over three years. I had to program my GPS to even find the place. Most days, going to work means heading down the basement stairs. I spend my days ten feet from a refrigerator with 6 bottles of water and 42 bottles of beer. What could possibly go wrong?

In 2008, I asked my boss if I could work from home. He said, “Dave, the problem is, I’d be paying you for 8 hours, but I wouldn’t really know if you worked that long.” I told him he didn’t know that now. All he knew was my truck was in the parking lot and I was at my computer. Here’s a tip. Don’t say that out loud. The next day he installed a camera over my desk.

But along came 2020 and Covid left us with no choice. And with very few exceptions, we put the fears to rest and came out on top. Companies continued to grow. Profits were made and bonuses were earned. And we discovered we can still get the job done even if our pants are in the laundry. I’ve seen those videos. What’s wrong with you people?

The point is, we took a situation that could have been catastrophic and made the most of it. Giving up was just not an option. And, as a result, many of us continue to enjoy a work-life balance we would never have envisioned three short years ago.

So, where’s that sense of adventure when there’s something we want, something that’s not quite within reach? We’ll keep beating our head against the same wall for years instead of trying something new for even a day. And at the end of yet another year, we resign ourselves to the “fact” that what we want is just not possible.

Well, I’m glad my boss didn’t give up so easily. And I’m sure a lot of his trusted advisers gave him a dozen reasons why it would never work. But he put his faith in us, and we came through. Put that same amount of faith in yourself, and there’s not much you can’t accomplish. All it takes is a willingness to try something different, even if other people say it’s stupid.

Every challenge presents opportunity. And all opportunity asks is that we recognize it for what it is – a chance to make things better. Take the chance. Prove other people wrong. You may still miss your goal, but it certainly won’t be for lack of trying.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day and an even better weekend!

Yes, You Really ARE Worthy!

January 16, 2023 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning. Or afternoon, depending on your time zone. Hope your day is starting off well.

I didn’t sleep this late, though I did sleep later than normal. That’s what happens when you sit up watching a movie until the wee hours. I used to do that all the time. But I’ve reached that point of equilibrium where cause and effect become one. In other words, if you’re gonna be dumb, you’ve gotta to be tough.

There were years in my life when I could party all night and get up in the morning. But somewhere along the line, my body introduced me to the concept of consequences. When I woke up with a headache, I could usually admit I had it coming. And then came the days I woke up with a hangover for no good reason. What’s up with that?

We all tend to think we get what we deserve. Okay, just the good stuff. I get it. But when I climb the single flight of stairs from my office to the kitchen (don’t be nosey), I can honestly say I deserve all that huffing and puffing. The pounding in my chest? Yeah, I’m still looking for somebody to pin that on.

It’s good when we can admit our mistakes and accept the consequences. But what happens when life throws something really good our way? “You’re so lucky!” Yeah, that must be it. The gods were searching for somebody completely unworthy on whom to bestow a stroke of good fortune, and you just happened to stumble in the way. What a lucky dog!

And I think that’s what stops a lot of us from pursuing our goals. Why should good luck fall on me? What have I done to deserve it? What’s so special about me?

Well, that depends. If all you did was buy a winning lottery ticket, that’s luck. But most of us tend to put a little more methodical effort into our achievements. We get up a little earlier, go to bed a little later, and work just a little harder. When others are on the porch enjoying a cold beer, we’re putting in that little bit of extra effort. So, why not you?

The first step in achieving a dream is realizing you deserve it. If there’s any nice thing in this world, material or not, you deserve it just as much as the next person. We are not pre-ordained at birth to a life of mediocrity. We’re destined to live the life we’ve built.

Every one of us is worthy of the best life has to offer. All you have to do is go out and get it.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!

Life is Too Short for Simple Dreams

January 13, 2023January 12, 2023 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning! It’s Friday again! Hope your day is off to a great start.

Those of you who know me best know I can conjure up some pretty wild fantasies when I want to. Not the kind that would embarrass my wife. I do a good enough job of that just trying to be serious. I’m talking about the kind that leave people scratching their head and thinking, “Is he delusional?”

Yes, I’m a dreamer. Dad reminded me of that every time I set my sights on anything people who work for a living could never afford. Okay, some of those dreams were “out there.” A waterfront mansion with my own yacht and a helicopter to fly me to my private jet may have been a bit optimistic. Especially at the age of 17. Why do you think I wanted to be a rock star?

Over the years, my dreams have changed. Not necessarily because of my bank account. That’s a dynamic situation that changes almost daily. And, while some days are better than others, the years have treated me well. But dreams change as we grow. That’s just a natural part of life. But there are still things I want.

What would your dreams be if you knew you couldn’t fail? That’s an interesting thought. It implies two things. First, that we can actually control what we dream about (we can), and second, that our dreams are usually limited by our current income (they are).

We’ve all heard that whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve. I love that quote, but in deference to Napoleon Hill, I have to respectfully disagree. There are things that, no matter how hard we try, we will NEVER be able to accomplish. Ever wished you could sprout wings and fly? Well, keep dreaming.

But that aside, there isn’t much we can’t accomplish if we put our mind to it and follow through with deliberate action. Want a bigger house? You can do it. Want a fancy car, or a European vacation? It’s yours. Want to retire at the age of 30 and spend the rest of your days on the beach? Well, if your 30^th birthday is next week, you may need a couple more months.

The life you’re living today is largely the life you dreamed of. If it’s not, now would be a good time to revisit those dreams. Go to an open house. Visit a boat show. Pick up a travel magazine. Don’t worry about how you’ll do it. There’s plenty of time for that next week. But if you’re going to dream, then dream big! The effort is the same either way.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome weekend!

Got Twenty Seconds???

January 9, 2023January 9, 2023 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning, and happy Monday! I hope your day is off to a nice start.

While you folks were (hopefully) relaxing, I spent 16 hours on the road Saturday, leaving the warmth of central Florida for the bitter cold of Ohio. I guess I really am as stupid as I look.

Let’s just get this out now – I don’t like winter. In fact, I pretty much despise it. Oh yeah, I remember years ago growing up in south Florida, longing for the silent majesty of a winter’s morn, the clean, cool chill of the holiday air … Yes, I’ve watched that movie a few times too many.

When I joined the Navy, my dad told me something I’ll never forget. “The best two duty stations in the world are the one you just left and the one you’re going to.” Or, in simpler terms, the grass is always greener over the septic tank. Thank you Erma Bombeck for that tidbit of perspective.

Our comfort zone is a double-edged sword. It gets us through the day with a minimum of stress, and it also keeps us from accomplishing much of anything. For every worthwhile achievement, you had to do something that stretched your level of comfort. And, even if the goal ended up being a little less than what you’d envisioned, you still grew as a result.

As most of you know, I was a stand-up comedian for the better part of 16 years. Believe me when I say that first time onstage was WAY outside my comfort zone. It took nine years and almost 1000 shows to get past the jitters. But it was something I wanted badly enough to work through it. And I’m glad I did.

If there’s something you want that isn’t immediately within reach, you’ll have to step outside your comfort zone. Matt Damon’s character said it best in the movie We Bought a Zoo … “all it takes is 20 seconds of insane courage.”

Twenty seconds to embrace a vision. Twenty seconds to consider an opportunity. Twenty seconds to post your resume online. Twenty seconds to get down on one knee and pop the question. Twenty seconds to sign your name to the contract. Twenty seconds to trap a spider. Twenty seconds.

Sure, there’s more to come after that. But that initial twenty seconds of courage is all it takes to get past the fear and start turning the life you want into the life you’re working toward. The more you face those fears, the less courage it takes. There comes a day when it’s second nature. And that’s when dreams begin turning into reality.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!

Why Would You Ever Want to Change?

January 2, 2023January 9, 2023 by Dave Glardon, posted in Motivational Humor, Uncategorized

Good morning! I hope your day (and your new year) is off to a great start.

I read a while back that if 2022 was a drink, it would have been a colonoscopy prep. Decaffeinated. Okay, I think they’ve said the same thing about every year since 1952. It’s normal to start the new year with an eye on change. For our health, for our finances, for our future. But most of all, because there’s something we want that we don’t have now.

It’s that vision of something better that drives us to make the necessary change. But when we put change first, we often miss the mark. Have you ever known anybody who changes jobs every time they do laundry? “Ready, fire, aim!” And we wonder why we keep coming up short.

The vision has to come first. We have to know what we hope to accomplish before we can figure out how to do it. And don’t ask the boss. They only have one answer. “Challenge yourself to excel every day!” All that means is he’s got his eyes on a brand-new boat and he needs your help to buy it.

No matter what, change is part of the formula. If what you’ve been doing all these years hasn’t gotten you where you want to be, another year isn’t likely to get you any closer. But change for the sake of change won’t get you there, either. It has to be part of a plan.

A good friend always said to have something you’ve never had you have to do something you’ve never done. I’ll take that a step further. To have something you’ve never had you may have to quit doing the same stupid stuff over and over and over. And habits are hard to change. We find comfort in the status quo, whether it’s good for us or not.

To grow, we need to step outside our comfort zone. We need to make the necessary changes and open our mind to those opportunities that are right there, just waiting to be discovered. And who cares if somebody else discovered it first? Best Buy didn’t invent computers and TVs. They just found a way to make money selling them.

Focus on your dreams first. Get a clear vision of what you want to achieve in the coming year, and then look for opportunities that can help you get there. Find one, and the changes you need to make will present themselves.

This is my wish for all of you in 2023 and beyond. Change is never easy, but it’s a lot easier when you have an overriding goal in mind. Focus on that goal, and the path will present itself.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!

What Are You Working For?

June 14, 2022 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning! I hope your day is off to a nice start.

Forty-five years ago today, I called my mom just to say hi. Anybody who knew me then can tell you I was a bit scatterbrained. That may or may not have been chemically enhanced. Five minutes into the conversation she said, “You’d better tell me happy birthday!” “Um, yeah … that’s why I called!” Doofus!

It’s been 28 years since I was last able to wish my mom a happy birthday, but she’s the one who first encouraged me to write, and I know she’s always the first person to read whatever flows from my keyboard. So, Mom … happy birthday! I sure hope I’ve made you proud.

In yesterday’s post, we talked about this glorious, booming economy. If you believe that, stop here and go read yesterday’s post, because it’s obvious you missed it the first time. I’m sure I didn’t make anybody’s day with that post, but this isn’t one of those times where plugging our nose will make the Brussels sprouts taste any better. No, Mom, that still doesn’t work.

We may not be able to change the direction of the economy, but that doesn’t mean we have to just go along for the ride. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. It worked for Janis Joplin. I’m sorry. God blessed her with a lot of things, but a singing voice wasn’t on the list.

Some people just know how to make the best of any situation. No matter what life throws their way, they always seem to come out on top. Not just that, they somehow find a way to raise the bar and climb even higher.

One of my earliest business mentors told me that if you were to take all the money in the world and divide it up evenly, in five years it would be right back where it started. As a young sailor with a bank account the size of a politician’s brain, that was depressing as hell. But there’s a certain truth in those words. So, the trick is to become one of them.

And becoming one of “them” is actually easier than it sounds. It all starts with the decision that we will not be defined by something we can’t control. The Wright brothers didn’t whine about gravity – they learned to overcome it. And they did that by applying the laws of physics that say if you put a big enough engine on a washing machine, you can make it fly.

But the airplane was just a by-product of something bigger. It was the end result. They built an airplane for one reason only – they wanted to fly. And nothing else, including jumping off the barn with an umbrella, showed much promise. Mom learned that the hard way. It’s funny now.

The Wright brothers would have built a Sherman tank if they thought it would fly. It was never about the airplane – it was about the freedom of soaring with the birds. Thankfully they never dreamed of pooping on freshly washed cars because that would have been simple once they learned to fly.

The point is, before they ever put a pencil to paper, they had the one thing it takes to succeed – the “why.” They knew why they were putting in all those late hours. They knew why they were spending all their hard-earned money on something that may or may not work. They knew why all those other people were laughing behind their back, and they knew why they didn’t care.

Your “why” needs to be something that excites you. If all you need is money, go make some. Jobs are easy to find. But it’s hard to get motivated if all you’re trying to do is avoid bankruptcy. “Take a look at this! I paid the electric bill. On time! Life is sweet!!!!” Don’t laugh. It happens every day.

Yes, paying the bills is important. And when that becomes a challenge, it also becomes a top priority. Even bigger than a new boat. But the boat needs to be there somewhere. Maslow’s pyramid, remember? All the good stuff is at the top. Unless you’ve got your sights set on something bigger, it’s that much harder to make the climb.

We all have a “why.” There’s something out there we want, material or not, that can drive us to do great things if we just give it a chance. I can’t tell you what that is – you have to decide for yourself. But once you do, Lord help the economy that tries to get in your way.

That’s all for now. I can’t promise a post every day, but I’ll do the best I can. Thanks for sharing this time with me. Have awesome day!

Is “Coffee” Keeping You From Your Dreams?

April 21, 2021 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good afternoon! I hope your day is going well.

My day already started better than yesterday. Picture yourself at 5 AM, standing in front of the coffee maker, patiently waiting for that first cup, and just as the pot starts to make the familiar sound of water heating to the perfect temperature, the power goes out. What??? Are you kidding me??? Now??? It’s pretty much the way I felt when I had my heart attack, except I wasn’t going through caffeine withdrawal at the time.

Few things can mess up my day faster than missing my morning coffee. And it wasn’t a complete power outage that would resolve itself as soon as the power was restored. This was inside my RV, limited to the outlets along one wall – the wall where the coffee pot is plugged in. I swear I heard God chuckling. “Wanna see something funny? Watch this!”

Worse still, that was also the wall where the appliances plug in. So, not only did I miss my morning coffee, I wasn’t able to make breakfast, either. Yes, I have cereal. I didn’t want cereal. I wanted eggs, and that requires plugging in an electric skillet. You know, in the wall with no power.

Check the circuit breakers, you say? I did. Four times, just in case one was playing possum. I checked the ground-fault plug in the bathroom. I checked the shore power outside. I even fired up the generator, hoping a double-dose of electricity would somehow set things right. Yes, I know better. But desperate times call for irrational measures.

The problem was a breaker on the power inverter. It was nice of the manufacturer to put that in the “owner’s manual.” Okay, it would have been nice if they’d actually written one. They didn’t. And whose idea was it to hide the inverter behind a nondescript panel in an outside compartment where nobody would think to look for it? It was like an Easter egg hunt with NO COFFEE.

I have this image of myself as a carefree spirit who adapts on the fly to whatever is happening at the moment. I guess that’s part of the attraction to RV living. New faces, new places, and new adventures around every bend. As long as those adventures don’t get in the way of my morning routine. There’s plenty of time for that after I’ve had some caffeine.

We all have routines. Some are good, some not so good, and some just are. Regardless, they’re all a part of our day and as much as we’d like to be spontaneous, those routines have a sort of sacred importance. Don’t believe me? Invite my brother to dinner when there’s a ball game on TV. Tell my grandkids we’re out of vitamins. Or ask me to start the day without … well, you know.

Routines are good, to the extent that we know what to expect at a given point in the day. But when we allow those routines to get in the way of other things we want more, they become a liability. Bowling is fun, but is it leading you closer to your dreams or standing in the way? I guess that depends how much you love throwing a 16-pound ball at a rack of wooden pins.

But there are only so many hours in a day, and the question we all have to answer for ourselves is whether we’re spending that time or investing it. And there is no “right” answer, other than how that time fits into our long-term goals. Success doesn’t mean you can never have fun. It just means deciding for yourself what’s more important over the long haul.

If your dream is to become an awesome bowler, there’s your answer. But if there’s something bigger you want out of life, something that will take some time and effort, then you might need to reassess your approach. Besides, if your dream involves extra time and money, you can bowl all you want later.

It’s amazing how many times people have shared a dream, but when you suggest a possible means of achieving that dream, their first response is, “I don’t have time.” Well, we all get the same 168 hours in a week. The majority of that time is consumed with things we have to do. Nothing we can do about that. But it’s how we use those remaining hours that makes the difference.

I doubt your dreams will fall apart if you set aside time for coffee. And I doubt those dreams will fall apart if the coffee maker is broken. But beyond that daily routine, are there things we do just as automatically that really do impact our goals? Spend time or invest it. That’s a choice we all make whether we intend to or not. How important are your dreams? There’s only one way to find out.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!

Close, But No Cigar!

April 14, 2021April 14, 2021 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning, and happy Hump Day! I hope your day is off to a great start.

So, last Thursday my wife and I finally got our first Covid vaccine. Yes, we’re a little late, given our age, but we’re traveling and that adds a bit of complexity. Still, we got it done, without any bad effects, and now I can reassure others that I’ve been vaccinated. Okay, half-vaccinated. We still have another shot to go. But that’s just a formality, right?

Actually, no. It’s not just a formality. It’s an important part of the treatment that more than doubles our immunity to the virus. That doesn’t mean we’ll never get sick. It just means we’re that much less likely to contract the virus and, if we do, it should be somewhat less intense. That’s comforting.

My wife would be the first to say I’m good at getting started, but I tend to fall down before I reach the finish line. Apparently, we don’t entirely agree on the notion of “close enough.” My backyard shed is a perfect example. My grandson and I built it from scratch and it’s beautiful. Well, it will be once I finish installing the trim. C’mon, it’s only been four years!

There’s just that part of my brain that says when something is usable, the pressure is off. I ripped up all the carpet in our house and replaced it with laminate flooring. It looks great! Well, it will once I finish installing the trim. I had to remove the baseboards to get the job done, and half are still missing. C’mon, it’s only been twelve years! Wow, did I say that out loud?

Yesterday we talked about those baby steps, and that any progress toward a goal is something to be celebrated. But we also acknowledged that time is not a completely unlimited resource, and if we hope to accomplish our goal by a certain time, we may need to speed things up a bit. At my age, I need a jet pack.

There are times when “close enough” is truly close enough. The game of horseshoes relies heavily on this concept. Steering a mammoth container ship through the Suez Canal – not so much. That one has to be exact. And they pretty much expect you to finish what you started. You can’t stop halfway through and say, “Yeah, but look how far we got!”

We’d never think of using that on the job. When the boss gives us an assignment, they pretty much expect us to finish it. Trim isn’t optional. And, while they may appreciate the progress we’ve made and how hard we worked to get there, the job still isn’t done. And that’s what they’ll remember when it comes time for our annual review.

So, here’s the question – if you were paying somebody else to accomplish your own personal goals, how long would they be employed if they worked at those goals as hard as you do? That’s a tough one to bite off, because for most of us, the answer is “not long.” But hey, you gave it an honest effort and that’s worth something, right?

Well, it depends. If my goal is to save a million dollars and I only save half that much, that’s pretty respectable. I don’t know of too many people who would hang their head in shame. On the other hand, if I needed the entire million to build my dream house, it’s not going to happen. I can either get back to work or ditch my plans and start over.

Yet, when it comes to our dreams, we allow ourselves a certain amount of leeway for coming up short. “I tried. And in the beginning, I was getting a lot done! But I just wasn’t able to make it happen.” You weren’t able, or you just didn’t follow through? There’s a difference.

Driving through the mountains is rarely up one side and down the other. You reach the top of first hill, only to see six more ahead of you. And there may be a dozen more behind them. Now, if your only goal was to climb one hill, you’re there. Mission accomplished. But if you wanted to reach the other side, you’ve still got some work to do.

That first step is critical, but it’s no more important than every other step along the way. There’s a starting line and a finish line, and you have to cross both before you can take a bow. Sure, goals sometimes change, and that’s okay if your dream has changed. But don’t short-change your dreams because there’s another hill to climb.

Somewhere along that mountain drive, you crest one final hill and see clear sailing ahead. At that point, all those hills behind you are a distant memory. But if you stop too soon, you may never know how close you came. Your dream deserves that extra mile. And you know what? So do you.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!

The Thought May Not Always Count, But Baby Steps Do

April 13, 2021April 13, 2021 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning! I hope your day is off to a great start.

My wife bought some freshly baked muffins a few days ago. According to the label, they were supposed to taste like Raisin Bran. I think they used a little poetic license there, because halfway through I hadn’t found the first raisin. I was just about to complain when I found it. One. It was hiding near the bottom, hoping I’d give up before I got that far.

It reminds me of when my grandson and I tore down my old shed. It was in really bad shape, and a decent puff of wind would have brought it to the ground. Okay, maybe not, because I actually prayed for that to happen. It would have saved a lot of work and, as it turned out, a nasty infection from stepping on a rusty nail.

But as I connected a nylon strap to the inside of the shed with the other end attached to my truck, my neighbor came out and asked what we were doing. “We’re building a new shed!” It felt good saying it. Then I handed my grandson the key and told him to have fun. Ten seconds later, the shed was on the ground. It was a year before the new one took its place.

I heard a story once about a woman who went to her high school reunion and, as others were bragging about their accomplishments, she said, “I’m working on my PhD!” A friend who knew better quietly reminded her that she dropped out of college. She responded, “I’ve thought about going back. It’s called fake it till you make it.”

So, what do these stories have in common? Well, just because the label mentions Raisin Bran, that doesn’t mean they used two scoops. Demolition is the first step in construction, so swinging a sledgehammer still counts. And finally, if you have a vision of something you’re thinking about doing, then technically it’s a work in progress. Right?

Well, let’s throw the first one out, because when I eat Raisin Bran, I expect at least one raisin in every bite. Anything that falls short of that standard is just false advertising. Besides, we bought some lemon-blueberry muffins yesterday and they were the real deal. Strong lemony flavor with fresh blueberries throughout. So, it can be done.

Is tearing something down the same as building something new? Well, that depends where the something new is going to be built. If it’s on the same piece of earth, then yes – you’ve begun the process, and it’s likely you can envision the end result. I know I did. For a whole year. I’m not so sure my neighbors were quite as thrilled.

Is telling people you’re doing something you’re not really doing a lie? Well, maybe. But again, let’s examine intent. Are you thinking seriously about it? Do you have a plan? Have you taken any steps in that direction? If so, it’s not completely untrue. I’m working on becoming a millionaire. I have been for 48 years. These things take time.

But every dollar I save is a dollar closer to my goal. Granted, I may need a few extra years to get there. More like a few extra decades, but you get the idea. If the goal is there and you’re taking steps to achieve that goal – even if it’s just getting up and going to work every day – you’re on a path to success.

Now, how long will it take you to get there? That’s another matter entirely. It’s easy to say I’m on a path to becoming a millionaire, but it’s also likely I won’t live to be 150. So, if I hope to achieve that goal in this lifetime, something has to change. I don’t need to share all those details with everybody, but I do have to acknowledge them myself.

When a lumberjack cuts down a tree, is he clearing the forest or building fine furniture? It all depends on your point of view. But if the tree has to come down first, and then be shipped to a lumber mill, and then to a lumber wholesaler, and then to a lumber store, and then to Joe’s wood shop, it’s all part of the process.

Be proud of the things you’re working to accomplish. Focus on the big picture. Celebrate every step along the way. You may not be there yet, but you’re a step closer and that’s something. Even those obstacles you were destined to face sooner or later are a form of progress, because now they’re behind you.

And if you’re still in the “thinking about it” stage, all it takes is one step to put that dream into motion. Granted, you may have to pick up the pace at some point, but as long as the goal is clear and you’re taking steps in that direction, you’re on the road to success. Throw in a few more raisins, and you’re there!

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!