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<\/p>\nFew of us run races at the Olympics or score touchdowns in the NFL. But we all play a metaphorical sport in our professional and personal lives. Simply put: we want to succeed and thrive. To win, we must set big goals and work toward effective and influential results.<\/p>\n
Problems seldom arise from our goal-setting itself. Each New Year offers another prime opportunity to make resolutions and set goals. But it\u2019s our end-of-the-year progress reports that truly count, and research suggests that the further away we get from our initial goal setting, our \u201cmotivation tends to lag.”<\/p>\n
Toward the end of each day, quarter, or year, it\u2019s prudent to ask ourselves if we\u2019ve actually followed through and met our goals. It's also wise to ask if by meeting our goals, we\u2019ve seen some sort of positive, transformational effect in our business or life.<\/p>\n
Three top athletes help show us the way forward.<\/p>\n
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Colt McCoy is currently a backup quarterback for the Washington Redskins. When I interviewed him a few years back for a book project written with his mentor, Matt Carter, Colt had been the winningest quarterback in the history of NCAA football before beginning his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns.<\/p>\n
Colt described how throughout his whole life, he\u2019d been hardwired to win. Yet he had mistakenly set some misguided goals. He came to this conclusion after a shoulder injury sidelined him during the BCS National Championship game, and after his mentor was diagnosed with life-threatening cancer. Colt and Matt both made a vow then and there to live with what they termed \u201cunction\u201d\u2014purposeful urgency\u2014as if every day must count for what truly matters.<\/p>\n\t\t