The Dyslexia Of Your Goal

"Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, few in pursuit of the goal." Friedrich Nietzsche German Philosopher

How many times have you set a goal only to let loose of the idea the minute adversity hits you? As Nietzche relates, the reason why you don't accomplish your goal is because you're inflexible in your path yet flexible on your goal. For instance, let's say your goal is to break out of your 8 car shell and sell 15 cars this month- a few days later you find yourself backing back into your 8 car garage again. Like putting your hand on a hot stove, the reason why you're stuck in your career is because you're inflexible to your comfort zone-the minute you feel the discomfort, pain, and setbacks, you immediately drop the notion of doubling your sales output and fall back into the warmth of familiarity.

If you want the taste of success, then you must become dyslexic in the way that you eat it- flip your inflexible/flexible mindset around. Be tenacious and lock into your goal, yet remain adaptively flexible to the adversity that comes against you. Like everyone, you'll have setbacks, rollbacks, turndowns, rejections, and misfortunes this month-every

month for that matter, but what separates extraordinary salespeople from ordinary ones is that EXTRAordinary salespeople don't allow adversities to have any permanence in their career. Ordinary salespeople hold onto unforeseen, uncontrollable circumstances-thus letting go of their goals and sinking their month, while extraordinary salespeople handle the adversities by learning how to manage the setbacks (flexible) while still moving forward toward their goal (inflexible).

Don't adapt the goal to the path; adapt the path to the goal.

I'll see you next time on the Blacktop!

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Comment by Marsh Buice on December 31, 2014 at 6:35pm: Happy New Year to you too Brian. Who said car people don't read philosophy? :) The quote resonated with me because we set a goal but are too quick to let go of the goal once we get slapped with adversity. We've got to be committed to the goal and interested in the path instead of vice versa. Often times we are interested in a goal of selling xx cars per month but remain committed to staying in our comfort zone. Staying interested in the path allows for flexiblity while staying focused (committed) to the goal.

Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Brian.

PS> Love the story! When our back is against the wall, it's amazing what we can accomplish. Every day we need to put our backs against the wall and fight for our dreams.

Comment by Brian Bennington on December 31, 2014 at 3:52pm: Hope you have a great New Year Marsh! Of note, you're the only GSM I've ever hear (read) quote Nietzsche. Can't help but wonder if it's something in that Lake Charles water.... As to the post, it just reinforces what I believe is the most important dynamic to success in nearly everything, that being strong disciplined personal motivation. Really, I'd think one of the most important and defining questions of a job interview would be what the new hire's personal motivation is to get the job and do it well, but I've never heard it mentioned.

Speaking of the power of strong disciplined personal motivation, there's an old story about two salesmen sitting together on a plane ride across the country, and during their conversation one commented he'd quadrupled his sales over the past year. When asked by the other how he did it, he explained his insurance wasn't paying for his young daughter's leukemia treatments.