Achievement of Goals
Photo by johawna on deviantART
Here is one of the best stories of Catherine Pulsifer which I like and I want to share with you :
For 26 years, I worked for a major corporation in Toronto, Ontario. While I had a wonderful career working with some great people, for the last five years of that career I found myself wanting a change. However, my financial circumstances did not allow me to leave my job.
But, I had my goals - to own our own small business, to live in the country, basically to change our lifestyle. But, of course, I faced challenges in achieving these goals. I can’t tell you how many times I felt frustrated. I felt like I was going further away from my goals rather than moving towards them.
Our original goal to change our lifestyle was based on a two-year plan. Without going into the detail of the setbacks, that two-year plan turned into a reality taking five years. So how did we survive those three years of setbacks?
- We never lost focus on our goals. Even though the time frame changed, we kept taking the actions shown in our plan.
- In my case, on my desk in my office, a place that I did not want to be, I kept a quote that I would read every day - “Enjoy where you are at, while you are waiting to get to where you want to be!”- That quote reminded me to stay positive, not to become depressed about my situation. My goals, even with the setbacks, gave me hope and determination.
- I would often visualize what it would be like if I was living my goals rather than working towards them. With every positive mental picture, it reinforced that my goals could be a reality.
Finally, five years later, our goal became a reality. We quit our jobs in Toronto, we bought a house in the country, and we moved to Clairville, NB. And, we started our small business. I no longer needed to keep looking at the saying, “Enjoy where you are at, while you are waiting to get to where you want to be!”
We were where we wanted to be - in the country, running our own small business. There was just one problem. Our small business was not generating enough income to support us. The first year in business, our small business cost us more money than it made. With our savings dwindling, we knew we had two choices:
1. go back to work for someone else, or,
2. make our small business profitable.
With 26 years of working for a large corporation, we did not want to go back to work for someone else. We were determined to make our small business profitable.
There was one day in particular, I will always remember, I was feeling a bit down, almost defeated. I was updating the website and came across a quote. As I read the quote, I realized I could do it. The quote, that pulled me out of my slump, goes like this:
“PERSISTENCE - “persistence prevails when all else fails.”
We remember reflecting back on our previous two-year goal that ended up being a five-year goal. We were persistent then, we just need to be persistent now. So we took a step back, we reassessed what and how we were running our small business. We changed, we worked hard and long, but we are happy to say that our small business is now generating an income for us.
Our work is now displayed at many stores across Atlantic Canada, at the cruise ship booth located at the Port of Saint John.
My point in sharing our story with you is that no matter what your goals are, no matter what setbacks you face, never lose your focus on your goals. Your goals can become your reality. It may take some changes, and it will take some work, but if you stick with them, taking action, if you are persistent, you can achieve them. We are living proof.
About Author :
Catherine Pulsifer is one of my favorite personal development experts. She has published plenty of great articles and also self- published Inspirational & Motivational Books : Wings of Wisdom, Wings for Goals, and Wings for Work.
Catherine Pulsifer has her own website. You may visit her at http://www.wow4u.com
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Tags: goal setting, motivational, personal development, self improvement, Success
Hi Arswino.
That was a great story. Thank you for sharing Catherine’s story with us. It is so empowering to read of others’ journeys and how they have succeeded through persistence. It’s a great reminder that we can do the same. Isn’t it amazing how one simple quote that we come across can make such a huge impact on us.
It does take persistence and belief in the dream. I’m curious to what Catherine’s business is and what she did differently to turn a profit. That may be a guest post for next time.
Hi Arswino,
This is a wonderful story of persistence in achieving dreams - Catherine is a living example of it in action! And it’s great to hear stories like this, and to be reminded of what IS possible if we really want it!
Thank you, Arswino, for sharing this.
It seems that the only way to fail is to quit. Even if persistence does not take me to the place I first intended, it will take me to a horizon, and I will be blessed in the effort and arrival.
blessings to you and all you hold dear,
CG
What an inspiring story indeed. What Catherine has shared is a typical journey to success and of course the great ingredient here was persistence, persistence, persistence. Great post!
Thank you for sharing this inspiring story. I love the quote “Enjoy where you are at, while you are waiting to get to where you want to be”. I am enjoying the moment and also look forward to what’s to come!
Hi Jennifer, thanks for stopping by. Yes, we can do the same. As long as we have persistence, we can achieve our dreams.
Hi Karl, I am still don’t know what Catherine’s business as well. I just toke the point : persistence. Thanks for the suggest of my next post.
Hi Lance, thanks for the comment. Yes, you are right. Everything is possible if we really want it.
Hi Walters, pleased to see you again here and leaving a comment. Bless to you too and your family.
Hi Sharon, thank you.
If we have dreams that we really want to achieve, we usually have persistence and never give up.
Hi Stacey, thank you for stopping by. Nice to see you here. I am happy if this article can give something beautiful to you.
Hi Arswino
I love what she said about “no matter what setbacks you face, never lose your focus on your goals. Your goals can become your reality” That is so true! Thanks for sharing this story with me. I real enjoy reading it.
Thank You,
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Hi Giovanna, welcome and thanks for leaving a comment. I am pleased if you enjoyed reading it.
Hi Arswino,
It’s a wonderful story to remind us we can achieve with belief perseverance and never giving up. Truly inspirational.
Thank you for sharing the story.
Many Blessings….
Hugo and Roxanne
~Believe Achieve~
Hi Arswino,
I loved the story. It’s always heartwarming to hear of real people who have made the hard decisions to live the kind of life that has meaning. Success is counted in much more than money, and in my book Catherine and her husband have chosen success. And I wish you much success, on your terms, with your blog too!
Hi Hugo and Roxanne, you’re welcome. Yes, if we believe in perseverance, we can achieve anything that we are dreaming of
Hi Daphne, thank you for stopping by and the wish. I really appreciate that. You are so kind. I wish you all the best and much prosperity as well.