“Successful people create their own opportunities by focusing on goals with an intensity that borders on obsession.”  – Napoleon Hill

I promise this is my last post this year that mentions commencement ceremonies. But I can’t help myself this week, because the day after I watched 700+ college grads toss their cardinal red mortarboards into the air on Andrus Field, I was reminded of a story that author Napoleon Hill told decades ago to make a point about the importance of having a plan.

According to Hill, the commencement speaker at a prestigious university asked members of the graduating class for a show of hands from those who had a definite plan for their lives. Only three hands were raised. At their 25-year class reunion, those three individuals had a combined net worth that exceeded that of the rest of the class. While success is not defined only by financial gain, Hill’s  point is that people who know what they want to be and do achieve far great levels of success than people who don’t.

Know what you want. Write down your chief aim, even if it’s on a cocktail napkin, like the founding plan for Southwest Airlines. Your focus on a burning desire is the best inspiration for action, no matter what your age or current position. Your future always starts right now. No, now. No, now.

Tags: achievement, human energy, leadership, leadership development, leadership skills, managing yourself, personal effectiveness, positive energy, purpose, success

This entry was posted on Friday, June 1st, 2012. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.