Dare to Live Without Limits
You are what you think about
By Bryan Golden

You have complete control over your thoughts. Thought patterns develop over a lifetime; a result of the influences of schooling, parents, friends, relatives, TV, movies, etc.

Unfortunately, most of the guidance received about how to think is negative. More effort is spent teaching what you can't do rather than what you can. Whatever your thinking is now, you can learn to alter it. Study the thinking of successful people.

Mark Allen, a six-time ironman triathlon champion started by studying the techniques of previous winners. He wanted to know how they trained and prepared themselves. Allen then incorporated their successful techniques into his own practice sessions.

Another powerful mental tool that Allen utilized was visualization. Allen visualized his performance of his next event before sleeping. Athletes have found that visualizing successful accomplishment can be as effective as the actual physical training.

An American prisoner of war in Vietnam visualized playing golf every day to help endure the hardships of captivity. After being released, his golf skills had markedly improved even though he hadn't physically played in years.

Visualization is one of the most powerful techniques you can use to change your thinking. Through visualization, you control the desired outcome in your mind. In your mind you can overcome any obstacle. You can rehearse a situation over and over anytime and anywhere.

Your mind must be conditioned to be impervious to negative criticism. Rather than wanting to join you on your goalachieving quest, most people would instead prefer you to fail. Other people will be jealous. There's nothing you can do to control their thoughts.

The first modern rocket scientist, Robert Goddard, a physics professor, had his research denounced by the press. In 1920, a newspaper editorial stated that Goddard "seems to lack the knowledge ladled out daily in high schools."

Amid condemnation and with little support from fellow scientists, Goddard became a leading pioneer of the space era. He achieved success by focusing on reaching his goals instead of what people thought of his research.

Develop a belief in your goals and the path you choose to achieve them. It takes a lot of practice to free yourself from what other people say, think or do. You must overcome a strong societal outlook that other people's opinion of you is important.

The discoverer of the Titanic wreck, Robert Ballard, tried unsuccessfully for 12 years to obtain financing needed for his search. Additionally, hunting for the Titanic was considered folly by several fellow scientists. Yet, with an unshakable belief in himself and his goals, he overcame all obstacles and found the wreckage in 1985.

The type of thinking that all successful people have is available to you. You can opt to pattern your thinking after those who have achieved success, often despite overwhelming odds.

Changing your thinking requires effort. Many people who are close to you won't understand or support your endeavors. If you are laughed at and criticized, this is good. It means that you are experiencing the same reaction as some of the greatest minds in history and are in the best of company. ****** Set goals

Why is it important to set goals? Goals give your life a specific direction enabling you to keep on course. Goals make your path one of design rather than happenstance.

Karl Mladen Sekulovich, a 21-year-old son of Serbian immigrants, was determined to not spend his life working in the steel mills in Gary, Ind. as were his contemporaries. In 1934, Karl took his life savings of $340 and went to Chicago to study acting.

Driven by his goals, the budding actor, who would become known as Karl Malden, used $300 to pay for the first semester of acting school. He then went on to win a full scholarship for the entire three-year program.

Explorer Ferdinand Magellan's goal was to find a passage connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In 1520, while sailing through horrendous weather, the crew doubted Magellan's course and urged him to abort the trip. Perseverance and an unshakable belief in his goals enabled him to discover the passage.

Maurice Ashley, the first African-American to hold the highest ranking in chess, international grandmaster, loved chess as a teenager. He practiced and learned as much as possible and decided that becoming a grandmaster would be his goal in life.

Imagine your car's windshield painted black. What are your chances of staying on the road without crashing? Your life without goals is like driving your car without seeing the road.

How do you determine your goals? You must decide where you want to go in life. Goals can be modified or changed at any time, so don't be afraid that setting them will restrict you.

Your goals must be your own. Others will try to in- fluence you but you can't achieve their goals. If goals aren't yours, attaining them won't bring you satisfaction or happiness.

Setting goals requires a thorough self-analysis. Start by determining what you want and don't want. Make two lists as if you had no limitations. Take the list of what you want and rank the entries in order of importance to you. The most important entries should be considered major goals.

Don't worry about what other people may think about your lists. These are your private lists and they don't have to be shown or discussed with anyone. Once you have made these lists, compare them to your current situation. If you are doing things you don't want you may feel frustrated and dissatisfied.

If you subvert you goals to other people's opinions, you shortchange yourself. It's tempting to try to make others understand and accept your goals, but they don't have to. What is important is that you are comfortable and happy with your goals.

Time goes by too fast to spend it being unfulfilled. We learn to justify our current existence even if we are not happy with it. Whatever your goals may be, someone else has already achieved them. If someone else can do it, you can do it too.

It's never too late or too early to set goals and change your life. The next column will discuss in detail how to develop a plan to reach your goals.

NOW AVAILABLE: "Dare to Live Without Limits," the book. Visit www.Bryan- Golden.com or your bookstore. Bryan is a management consultant, motivational speaker, author, and adjunct professor. E-mail Bryan at bryan@- columnist.com or write him c/ o The True Citizen.