Keep Your Eyes On The Prize

When I was in college eons ago I took horseback riding as one of my elective classes.  The professor explained that to get the horse to go where I wanted him to go, I needed to be looking ahead.  Don’t look at his head, she would explain, look at the trail and where you want to go.  The horse would sense my intentions and follow the directions.

“Ask yourself if what you’re doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow.”

Anonymous

Fast forward 40 years (yikes), and those words still ring true for me.  Now, instead of a horse, I ride my bicycle and I still need to keep my goals in mind.  It would be so easy to dwell on the pain and exhaustion I may be feeling but by keeping my mind on the road ahead and the goal destination, I am able to accomplish what I want.  

Along the trail that I usually take, there is an area that has an 8 inch wide strip of cement running along the roadway for about 100 yards.  Since the left side of this strip is the road with some bumps, and the right side is cobblestones, I try and stay on that narrow strip.  At first I found this very difficult to do.  I was expecting failure and inevitably the bike would veer off the path. I was focusing on where I didn’t want to go. 

Then came the day that I had high expectations for myself.  I told myself, “You can do this!”  Instead of focusing on the road or the cobblestones, I focused on the 8 inch strip of pavement I wanted to stay on.  I “kept my eyes on the prize” and had success.  Now every time I am on that part of the ride, I remind myself to keep focused on a favorable outcome.

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.”

J.P. Morgan

This is true in so many aspects of our lives.  If we expect to fail, lo and behold we fail.  If we, instead expect to be successful in our endeavors, we will inevitably meet with success.  We need to focus on the goal and expect to be successful.

You should start with small tasks and they will then grow into larger ones.  Focus on accomplishing one at a time and you will meet with success.  For example, if you have a goal of running a marathon, you should focus on smaller distance increments until you are able to make the entire 26 miles in one day.

“Success doesn’t happen overnight. Keep your eye on the prize and don’t look back.”

Erin Andrews

Things to remember to keep your eyes on the prize:

1. Make a plan to accomplish a dream goal
2. Write down the smaller steps needed for success
3. Keep focused to remain motivated
4. Don’t let setbacks stop you

Remember you are the only person who can accomplish what you desire in your life.  Dream big and keep your eyes on the prize.  You will be amazed at the outcome.