Do you know where your goalposts are?

blog cover image
42
4.7K followers

In life, as in football, you won't go far unless you know where the goalposts are. ~Arnold Glasow

Do you know where your goalposts are? Do you even know what your goalposts are?

Setting goals so that you have something to aim for is vital to your success. If you are playing football or soccer, you must know not only where your goalpost is, but also which one is yours! Many an embarrassed player has run triumphantly to a brilliant touchdown or goal only to discover that it was not his or her destination or goalpost. They scored for the other team!

This post isn't necessarily about how to set goals, there are enough posts and resources like that, this is more about recognizing your own goalposts instead of the goalposts of others.

Finding your own goalposts

I enjoy my day job on most days. But as much as I enjoy my job, my coworkers, my boss, I am still working to meet someone else's goals.

When I write an article for the newspaper, I am writing it for my employer. When I attend a meeting or event—it is for my employer. I can't tell you the last time I went to a festival or other event because I wanted to.

For the past 20+ years I have attended 1000s of events, concerts, school plays, fairs, craft shows, school board meetings, commissioner meetings, city council meetings, summer festivals and the like, not because I wanted to go to them, but because I had to as part of my employment.

I have learned to find enjoyment in almost everything I do now—even the boring meetings—but it wasn't always like that, believe me.

So how do you find your own goalposts?

I think many of us are on the right path because we are here at Wealthy Affiliate working toward our own futures instead of the future of our employers.

I work about 10 hours a day for my employer, but the rest of my day is spent on my own future—my own goalposts.

I write my posts for my websites. I study the lessons here at WA. I read books to enhance my understanding and my life.

We can all do these things. I have seen many posts written about balancing life, family, work, our websites and WA. Balance is difficult, but necessary. I even read that Sara Gilbert recently left her talk show The Talk because she needed more time to spend with her children and other projects. Gilbert may be in a bit better financial state than some of us which affords her the luxury of leaving one of her "day jobs."

Most of us must work on our futures after our "day jobs." But like the Late Jim Rohn said, "Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you."

I encourage you today to keep working on your future. Find your goalposts and aim for them!

Best wishes,
Karin
😁

Login
Create Your Free Wealthy Affiliate Account Today!
icon
4-Steps to Success Class
icon
One Profit Ready Website
icon
Market Research & Analysis Tools
icon
Millionaire Mentorship
icon
Core “Business Start Up” Training

Recent Comments

57

Thanks Karin goalposts determine our milestones 🙂

You got that right!

Best wishes,
Karin 😁

Excellent post Karin. Thanks for sharing.
Ray

You're welcome, Ray!

Best wishes,
Karin 😁

Great analogy! I just finished an article on goals for my new website. They are so important. I love the idea of finding your goalposts.

Okay, I asked you about how you put your images into circles, but I need to know more. You could do a tutorial if there isn't one. I want to try using some on some of my posts. Please explain a bit more fully.

Thanks, Fran! I will do a tutorial and put that on later today.

Karin :)

Thank you! I will be watching for it.

Sorry I didn't get that tutorial done last night. I didn't get home until late and then I was tired. I won't call this one procrastination, but just physical and mental tiredness!

I should be home earlier tonight so I will get it done.

Best wishes,
Karin 😁

Thanks, Karin...I will be looking forward to it.

Good analogy, Karin, Alan

Thanks, Alan!

Best wishes,
Karin 😁

Always something good to think about. That is what you
give us almost every day.
And right now, I have to ponder which goal post I run toward.
Since the first of March, I have been stuck in Level three- trying to find affiliate programs and/or networks that would approve me. I was turned down a number of times. I understand that. I'm the new kid on the block. I haven't even heard back from Amazon.

Then Kyle tapped me for SAC- and I was thrilled. I know my capacity and after I came down to earth, I realized that putting my all in SAC probably meant I would have to give up my current website.
Well, I was talking myself into being OK with that when out of the blue, a company with ShareASale approved me as an affiliate on my first and only website. Finally a glimmer of hope, the crack I needed.

If I don't put full steam to my present website(and it still needs a lot of work) I'll have wasted my first six months.

But if I drop out of SAC, I'll have turned down a huge opportunity that may not come by again.


So, your blog hit the mark-- It gets hard when you have two ways to go- and both ways are good ways. But I'll figure it out.

Always love your insight.

Thanks Barbara.

I totally feel your pain in this decision. While I would love to be able to tell you which goalpost is yours, I cannot. Just from what I read of your posts and comments, I think you would do great at either.

It is extremely hard to try to do two sites at a time, but you will have to decide if you don't feel you can do two at one time.

I have decided to put my focus on SAC simply because I so believe in Wealthy Affiliate that I want to be able to promote it and get more people involved in this wonderful place.

I will still write posts for my diabetes site, but I will be focusing on my SAC site.

Whatever you decide to do, you will do great, Barbara. I'm glad that ShareASale accepted your site! That does give hope, doesn't it?

Best wishes,
Karin 😁

Really good I really like the quote at the end. Thanks Wayne

You're welcome, Wayne!

Best wishes,
Karin 😁

Yes, that is right. And you are so right when you said most of us here are on the right path to our goals being on WA.

Like you, I still worked 10 hrs for my boss as well. One day we will get there. To your future.

Thank you. One day we will get there with perseverance and hard work! Best to you as you move forward!

Best wishes,
Karin 😁

What a wonderful and encouraging post, Karin!!! A very clear message and easy to follow! I'm almost done now with Bootcamp phase 1. At the moment I'm studying the keyword research part. I'm about to do the task where you're supposed to research and find 5 keywords that apply to my target audience. Exciting!!! My first website (www.reclaimyourfinancialfreedom.com) is up now and I've done my "About Johan" and the Private policy-page...

Cheers/ Johan

Thank you for sharing you info, Johan. Bootcamp is difficult, but I have learned so much through the lessons there. I still have quite a way to go, but I look forward to learning even more!

Best wishes,
Karin 😁

thank you I sleep midnight just to have one post. hahahah

It will get easier! :) Keep working at it!

Best wishes,
Karin 😁

Thank you. We all need to paddle so that we can get out of this troubled water hahaha

Thanks for sharing this post

You're welcome. Hope you have a great day!

Best wishes,
Karin 😁

See more comments

Login
Create Your Free Wealthy Affiliate Account Today!
icon
4-Steps to Success Class
icon
One Profit Ready Website
icon
Market Research & Analysis Tools
icon
Millionaire Mentorship
icon
Core “Business Start Up” Training