My take on goal setting ...

Did I mention that I am not only retired from the Army, but also from a career (30 years) as an educator. I taught English for about 11 years and then went into high school administration. One of the annual millstones that had to be completed each year in each of these careers was the setting of the annual goals writing them out on some sort of form for the world to see so you/they can tell if you are successful, if you are a success. I'm not saying that this is necessarily a bad thing, in fact it keeps most of us on track, energized and accountable. The only trouble is nobody really puts down what they really want to set as a goal.

Also, people are always harangued about defining success as it relates to their job. "How's your job going? Are you a success?"

I don't suppose I would have ever gotten away with saying that my goal is really to eat one less Snickers Bar this week and six fewer this month, walk a bit more (not run!) and do one push-up and one sit-up during every commercial on the Monday Night Football broadcasts. I might even define success as weighing two pounds less at the end of the month. That would have been a worthwhile goal for me -- the Snickers and a Diet Coke for lunch guy. That would have been success. That's what I would have liked to have said. That's what I would have really liked to have said, but I know none of that was covered in the Army regulations and the school couldn't have cared less.

Well, now that I have reached the refined and sophisticated years of life, and I know what my goals are for the next 10 years or so: live a long and healthy life, catch more fish, lower my golf score, travel with my beautiful wife, bounce grandkids on my knee, do some more flying (oh, yeah, I am a licensed pilot, too), make a contact in every state in this country on my HAM radio (yeah, I am licensed at that too!).

Now, you may not be into all of these goals, and you may not have an idea of whether or not you are a success in life. So I'm going to share with you a short list that pretty much sums up successes throughout one's life. I've met some of them and plan to work on the rest. I have to admit I didn't come up with this definition but I sure like it.

SUCCESS:
...at age 4, SUCCESS is not peeing your pants.

...at age 12, SUCCESS is having friends.

...at age 16, SUCCESS is having a driver's license.

...at age 35, SUCCESS is having money.

...at age 50, SUCCESS is having money.

...at age 70, SUCCESS is having a driver's license.

...at age 75, SUCCESS is having friends.

...at age 80, SUCCESS is not peeing your pants.

I carried this list around with me in my little green book and came across it during some pretty bad meetings. Yep -- brought a smile to my face and certainly confused the others in the room.

HOOAH