Peter J Daniels – Goal Setting

Peter J. Daniels outlines ten principles for goal setting, from burning desire to written affirmation, designed to help individuals and families prepare for uncertainty. He frames goal setting as personal responsibility against larger crises and closes by offering study materials and a mentorship program.
Chapters
Thank you for coming. It's a pleasure to be here. I will endeavor to imitate the advice given by the famous former President of the United States of America, Franklin D. Rudewald, in respect to his comment of the role of public speakers when he said, I quote, be sincere, be brief, and for goodness sake, sit down, unquote. I congratulate Stan in his continuous efforts to enhance the lives of business people and others in this nation towards higher achievement. I know that he is acutely aware that mankind is the only species created by God that expands his door of knowledge from generation to generation. And since time began, man has continually struggled to unlock the treasures of the mind, as is challenged by the shifting sands of desires, emotions and fears that confront us all in life itself. And for some of us, the struggle continues until the day we die. The subject that Stan has chosen for this meeting is goal setting. And it's important because in these troubled times, it's a real need of the hour. We all know how easily our fear threshold can be shaken, especially when long term plans are either non existent or mysteriously vague. Because without a steady personal compass, we lose confidence and relive our uncertainties. And in doing so, we can lose the future. In an effort to prevent that from happening in your life, I will present to you the profound power of goal setting. And it is important to all of us because it brings the future into the present and places the power in the hand of the beholder. And as we all know, the future belongs to those who are prepared for it. And as people and business people, we are acutely aware that the banquet table of success has no reserved seats. And in a capitalistic democratic society, it's not possible to separate the freedom to fail from the freedom to succeed. Now, the marketplace is where the action is, and believe it or not, it's more powerful than the government. And if you have the urge to succeed, you must first attempt. Now, some of you may notice that my hands are a little shaky and my voice at times may be hesitant. And I will refer to my notes from time to time because I have Parkinson's disease. And by the way, I'm 83, I'm not 70, but please do not be concerned, because for someone who was not expected to last till Christmas, I'm alive and recovering. And on the comeback trial for my 83rd birthday. Surprise, surprise. I went horse riding. And I still have an unfulfilled appointment for lessons on how to fly a helicopter. So watch where you're standing. I'm often asked, how long can I keep Going at this pace to which my response is always the same. The speed of the pace is not the problem. It's a sudden stop at the end. Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late. But I need to set the scene for the talk this morning by providing a preamble of where we are at this time in global and national events and then proceed to move on with some answers in the form of business and family protective goal setting. Ladies and gentlemen, the time that we live in is urgent and the time to do something about your future security by goal setting. It's not tomorrow, it is today. We are surrounded by a world of crisis and change. And unfortunately, we have put aside the teaching lessons of the past and our children now believe more in Star wars than they do in the Bible. And we, the people of Australia, have adopted a policy of political correctness that has forced us to compromise on almost everything to avoid a conflict which has become a moral obscenity which is shrinking the character of a national spirit. It castrates men courage so they can only be brave from a distance to avoid being sued. And we may continue to dodge our responsibilities and withhold comment when we should speak out, but we won't escape the consequences. Some of our politicians are behaving like miserable sleepwalkers who are unwilling to wake up. And our bureaucracies are incapable of learning from the past and are wallowing in existing repeatable failures and unaccountable foot dragging just to maintain their jobs. As you get older, it's easy to understand life by looking backwards. But it's obvious that it must be lived by moving forward. Let me explain as I take you on a short journey. I was born in the year of 1932 during the Great world economic depression. Horses were still being used in abundance, the motor car was still in its infancy, jobs were scarce, money was in short supply, and the slogan was use it up, wear it out, make it do, or just go without. Everyone was aware that job security came from quality, productivity and satisfied customers. And your character was measured by the way you responded to the consequences of your own actions. The desire at that time was change and the songs of hope and optimism permeated the radio airwaves. Change did come in the horrors of World War II with a senseless life of loss of millions of lives. After the war there was prosperity and a general acceptance that we are now in the atomic age and giant changes were inevitable. And of course, coping with change is never easy. It's always been man's greatest challenge. And sometimes our choices are limited to guesswork, not knowing whether to adapt, resist or try to discover a benefit. Some people out of fear or complacently seek to remain static, hoping somehow it'll just simply pass them by. But you know, as you become older, things automatically change. You lose some of your choices, not only in your body, but in your preferences, your moods and your spirit. Things that once were paramount in your thoughts no longer seem to matter anymore. And many priorities reshuffle themselves into different positions and perspectives. And the world is viewed through a clear telescope that has been conditioned by experience, clearing the clouded lenses that peer into the future tense. And I often ask myself the question, have I done enough? Could I have done more? What kind of legacy am I leaving behind? And I look for answers as I study the complex atmosphere of the pent up anxieties within the vast human family. I'm a student of history. I see that there has always been a fear of the unknown which disturbs today. Ladies and gentlemen, we are living in a period of global combustible mix never before experienced in the history of world events. As vast unexplainable migrations are taking place and everyone on the planet will be impacted. Millions of people are fleeing their ancestral lands, moving like a giant rumbling machine that sweeps all before it. Ancient kingdoms may crumble. Financial dynasties could collapse. Long held boundaries are being discarded. No one is prepared to stand fight for their families or their countries anymore. Cowardice has replaced courage and conformity has become a prison that binds us with a strong chains of inaction. We have foolishly discarded the obligation of personal responsibility on the auction block of entitlements and by weight of numbers forced it onto hard working obligatory taxpaying benefactors. The Trojan horse has been willingly willed into the gullibility of our trust. The dice has been thrown. The roulette wheel is spinning. The cards have been stacked. The structure of democratic government has become a giant Ponzi scheme. And we're all getting close to the end of the game. Every country on planet Earth seems to be hopelessly indebted to some phantom money bags that no one can identify. And when the chips are called in, we may find that the cash box is missing. And it was all smoke and mirrors. Threats of retribution and war may create a new world order. Adjustments will need to be made and it may mean every man for himself. As we grapple to survive, the past may be like a vapor. All barriers may be removed and there is now a giant gap in the protective wall that we once had. I Guess the question that we have to ask all of ourselves. Are you prepared? Do you have a plan for yourself and your family? The finger pointing and the blame game may release some of your anguish and tension, but it does nothing towards a rebuilding process. Some people may never recover. Even hope itself becomes a rare commodity. But a remnant always remains and survives to rekindle and build on the rubble of the past and pay the way back to prosperity. Why? Because they are prepared with a knowledgeable, balanced, protective goals program that is intense, focused and comprehensive. You know, sometimes I wonder if we've ever learned anything. And another question must be asked. Where do we go from here? Are we fully prepared for anything like this? I hear foolish people saying, well, we'll all be in the same boat together. No good of it sinking. Will the time clock of history recruitment record its grim verdict of our generation with those chilling words, too late. Or maybe it's not too late. Is it really a time frame we are concerned about? Or it is a confused, stagnant brain frame. Or maybe you've never come to grips with the value, power and control of your own presence. Or it could be that you're wandering around the mental fog, bobbing around like a cork in the ocean, unable to find direction or equilibrium. So if I'm getting through or touching a nerve on your concerns this morning, then my time will not be wasted. And this could be the real reason why I'm here. I want to present to you a proven way to take control of your future. You can, this morning release enormous power by just a small thought if it's followed through by action. Allow me to illustrate. In 1963, a man called Edward Lorenz presented a hypothesis called the butterfly effect at the New York Academy of Science. His theory, simply stated, was that a butterfly could flap its wings and set molecules in motion which would move other molecules or air, eventually capable of starting a hurricane, the other side of the planet. I want to sink in a little bit. Let me repeat that. A butterfly could flap its wings and set molecules in motion which would move other molecules of air, eventually capable of starting a hurricane. The other side of the planet. Well, what happened? Lorenz and his ideas were laughed out at the conference. It was thought of being ridiculous. But 30 years later, his ideas received worldwide acceptance and acclaim as authentic, accurate and viable. And it became known as the law of sensitive dependence upon initial conditions, which means, in essence, that big things can start by minor thoughts of action. And for those of you who are sensitive and ready, it could take place at this meeting this morning. If you are prepared to take action now, firstly, by making peace with the bad memories of the past, and secondly, not allowing indecision to feed your fears. It was made mention that I founded the World center of Entrepreneurial Studies Foundation. I founded it many years ago. It was established to be in the forefront of global economic trends. Our involvement in the production of the film Millennium money that won the Gold Award for Directorship and the Silver for Content at the Film Festival in Chicago in 1998, protected with accuracy the financial fallout that occurred in the United states and in 2008. We have always proposed that motive without structure only provides motion without direction. We continue to receive visits to Adelaide from our global clients. That's after they find where Adelaide is on the map. They fly in for commercial consultation on goal setting, economic strategy, asset protection and future planning. They are very smart people. They believe that preparing for tomorrow must be dealt with today and under our tutelage. Many of them become very successful goal setters and a reflection of their accomplishments. Our problem is. Our real problem is we waste our lives on useless trivia. It's like riding an exercise bike, pushing hard for getting nowhere. To be a goal setter, you need to take a stand on the rock of your own conviction to make sure that the ideology and the strategy fit. And that's what I'm going to present to you now. 10 dynamic principles of goal setting. And the first one is a burning desire. But it must be bound together with two indispensable elements, inspirational dissatisfaction and delayed gratification, which, when joined together, becomes a glue that creates a strong foundation. My wife calls it my desperation quotient. It involves the willingness to bear pain. I didn't say be a pain. I said to bear pain by unlearning bad habits and errors of the past. You see, ladies and gentlemen, inspirational greatness does not fall on the shoulders of a committee. It is born and is nourished in the person and the spirit of an individual. Could it be at this meeting you are already beginning to feel within your spirit the butterfly effect? Do you really have a burning desire? The second principle is to create for yourself a lifetime code of conduct. This will provide for you a safe and honorable track to run on. And the ones I chose so many years ago became ingrained in my life that it solidified my character compass, which made it easy to make sound moral decisions and avoid behavior by flexible justification. The third principle is willpower, which is the integrity of the soul. Willpower is a lonely companion, but it can develop its own power, force and increase under adversity. Willpower provides you with the singleness of thought and power to stand up against the odds. And when you are standing alone with your willpower, you don't have to wait for someone else to catch up. And after, and only after you have mastered those three areas of discipline, you can confidently move into the fourth printhole. Just finding your goal if you have not got a goal, make finding a goal your goal. Now you've got one. We know that life shrinks or expands proportional to the choices you make. You must clearly define your major goals in terms of your desired aspiration. It soon becomes obvious to us all that finally, finally, finally, when you do expire, whatever you've achieved in your lifetime, that is what you've traded your life for. And the cost of a big dream. A small dream or no dream, it's still going to require your life. And do not let other people set your goals for you. If others set your goals for you, it destroys your personal accountability. You have the luxury of being the owner of your own time. And you can look into the future and use your imagination to create what you want it to become. But while you are still wishing and waiting, life with all its wonderful opportunities, are passing you by. I know many of you are fearful and would like to have guarantees. But opportunities do not come with the value stamped on them. And often you cannot see the big picture because you are standing too close to it. The future is not a threat, it's a promise. I know life can be hard, but compared to what? And once you've set your major goal, then you need the subordinate goal to harmonize with the structure. And let me add this, you don't have to lose your family. You do not have to become a cold robot. You don't have to be ruthless and you can help others while reaching your goal. And you can enjoy a life that's organized. Principle number five, Set out your strategy, which is the ethics and mechanics of the journey. This will keep you on track and create the power drive to get the job done. What I'm talking about here is a step by step process to reach your goal. Being very careful not to have minor goals in conflict with one another. Now's the time to come out of the closet and embrace the power of anticipation. Number six, Plan out your problems and remove the areas that are obstacles standing in the way of your dreams. Everyone has problems. It can be lack of finance, information, negotiating power, lack of schools, and even family background. These can be programmed in and out of your life. If you followed The Goals Formula One of my major problems was that I'd never passed a grade at school. And when I became interested in success, I had to start with a book in one hand and a dictionary in the other. I didn't borrow books. I found out very quickly that memory rarely retained information obtained on borrowed books. Borrowed books does not have a level of commitment. And without a tutor, I studied the basics of theology, accountancy, law, business history and economics. Now, it may seem an exaggeration, but I have read 6,000 biographies. And why do I do that? Because it builds up a vocabulary of overcoming incredible odds. Principle number seven Building reserves. In my long life I have witnessed more failures by disregarding this area of goal setting in the pursuit of a dream than anything else. Somehow we overlook the obvious, we ignore good sense. We tend to disregard the possibility of overreach and put it down to lack of faith or negativity. Let me make it abundantly clear. If you are serious about goal setting, then you neglect this one at your peril. We do not have any debt anywhere in the world. You need reserves. You need friends, reserves. Be kind to people on the way up. You meet the same people on the way down. You need physical reserves, financial reserves. And when it's uphill all the way, you need more power. And the only way that you can have more power is have spiritual reserves. Because a strong spirit can never be defeated. So let me repeat this once again. Principle number seven. To be a successful goal setter, you need to build in reserves. Am I getting through? Principle number eight. Relate everything to time frames. You must have faith in the virtue of your cause. And this can be expressed by relating to clear time frames and measurements. If you are contemplating some grand scheme for your life, then all the immediate supportive goals must fit into the measurement pattern of time frames. If you do not commit them to your overall plan, then that weakness at the most inopportune time reveal itself. It's frivolous. It's immature to suggest a someday for something. Time is the most valuable asset you have. You can make more money, but you cannot make one more moment of time. Remember, we're talking about the long haul and all these principles work together as a whole and do not compromise. The next. Principle number nine. Create a master plan to get the job done. To coordinate the goal. Now is the time to bring it all together. Examining the reality and practicality of your goal, it will soon become obvious to you that your goals program will enhance the standard and direction of your performance. Number 10. The final principle. Write out a descriptive affirmation card in respect to who you want to be, what you want to achieve. With some detail. I have mine that I wrote out on a wheatie package nearly 60 years ago. It must have dates and measurements. Keep it in your wallet, read it every day. As a much younger man, I would write myself a letter every week in respect to my progress. And then I would take one out that I wrote out a year ago earlier and found out where I'd lied. Now, with Stan's permission, I brought along some of our study books from the World center of Entrepreneurial Studies and I will stay at the back and meet you there if you're interested in them. I've also brought along our flagship program called Destiny of the Third Millennium, which was mentioned has created more millionaires in the Christian church than anything in history. We also have a two year mentoring program with that. The greatest single gift that God has given each one of you is the power of choice, which can be triggered at will. You can only be a failure by your own consent. God has never robotized the mind of man. The choice that you make as you leave this meeting could remove all failures. Now, in closing, may I say and I'll stick around for some questions. May the God that I trust expand your life until your destiny is fulfilled. And thank you for your attention.










