Rocket Rule #6

Goals are Great

Every successful person needs goals. As a successologist, my goal (in the grand scheme of things) is always success. Your goal should also be success. Always. I suspect that if you make it your goal to be almost as successful as the Rocket, you will do well for yourself. Not as well as me of course, but that is pretty much a given.

However, on your success journey you may find that the grand idea of "success" is simply too large or too abstract for your mediocre mind to grasp. That's when it is important to set goals along your way.

You must set goals! Just take a moment to think about that. Breathe it in. Along your successological path you need little landmarks to show your progress. Perhaps your goal is a promotion at work. Perhaps it is to get work. Perhaps it is simply to win. Let me share a story with you.

While recently working at the library, I learned of a short story contest. It was a contest that had been going on all summer long, but no one had told the Rocket. No surprise there. Nobody ever tells the Rocket about competitions, because the Rocket wins competitions. At any rate, this was a short story competition where the entry had to be a story about one's favourite summer pastime. I found out about this competition 3 days before the deadline. I made it my goal to win this competition. I finished my story that night. Two days before the deadline, when I went to submit my story, I found out that this competition was for children aged 12 and under. Now it is important to note that any goal you set will have obstacles. The obstacle may even seem impossible, much like this one did. I clearly cannot reverse my age (although the patent for that technology is pending). What could I do to achieve my goal?

You must do everything in your power to achieve your goal! In this case, I got my P.A.T. Wendel to pretend he is 12 (he's 14) and take the story in for me. The ruse was successful. The following week it was announced that my story won! I was set to receive a $50 gift certificate for Toys 'R' Us. However, I foolishly went to the ceremony to receive my prize, and was roundly booed off the stage and disqualified. Humiliating, but no matter. I had acheived my goal! And you too, dear reader, can achieve your goals. Do not let any silly obstacles stand in your way.

Just because I know you want to read it, here is my current list of goals:

1. Teach Wendel to take messages, not just say "whatever" and hang up the phone.
2. Become Mayor of a medium sized town before the age of 25.
3. Meet a girl.
4. Live under the ocean.

I recommend that if you have made success your goal, you go ahead and make a goal list like mine. But not exactly like mine, because that is stealing. And I will find you if you ever become the mayor of a medium sized town at 23 years old.