Determine a Dream Worth Trading Your Life For! Lanny Bassham

This article was posted in the January issue of MENTALCOACH monthly email newsletter. In the new 3rd Edition of With Winning in Mind Lanny tells a story about his grandfather which is a great prelude to our goal setting topic for this month: My grandfather was a mail carrier in the central Texas town of Comanche. As a young teen I loved to help him deliver mail out in the county because he would let me drive. Granddad taught all his grandkids to drive a car. He did not seem to mind if we ran over things and his old Ford sedan had the dings to prove it. He made us feel grown up and there was always a Dr. Pepper and a bag of peanuts as a treat at the end of the route. When I was in my first year in college he had a heart attack while visiting us. It was something he was not able to overcome. At the hospital we were all allowed some private time with him and I knew it was probably the last time I would be with him. As I sat down next to his bed he gave me some sound advice that has been with me all of my life. "Lanny, as I face the end I regret that I've never done anything in my life that a typical person couldn't have done. I always made the safe choice, never taking a risk. I've never been out of the state of Texas. I've never competed in anything, joined anything or built anything. I've done a good job of dodging the perils of life but in the process I missed a part of living! Don't let the caution keep you from experiencing life. Go out and find a dream worth trading your life for because in the end, that is what you are doing. Set big goals. You do not want to end up regretting your life." That was the last thing my grandfather said to me. Everyday you are trading your life. Once a moment is gone you will never get it back - you traded it for something. Each moment you spend in anger you could have been spending in happiness. Every moment you spend not believing in your ability, could have been a moment spent pursuing your dreams. Determine a dream worth trading your life for. Determine what you want to accomplish in 2011. Your life is being spent one day at a time whether you are working towards a goal or not. You are always trading time for something. Make it count this year. Focus on the things you want to improve and get started today. What are your goals for this new year? What is the dream you possess that is worth trading your life for? Make sure you go past simply writing the goals down - take the time to work through the Mental Management Goal Setting System to have a better chance of obtaining your goals this year. (this goal setting system can be found in the book "With Winning in Mind" - the new audio version of With Winning in Mind 3rd Edition Lanny has added more information on this topic)