AYD - May 29, 2012 - You Have What You Need

"Let us not be content to wait and see what will happen, but give us the determination to make the right things happen."
- Horace Mann - 1796-1859, Education Reformer and Politician

There are hundreds of books I am sure about Goal Setting. Tons and tons of dialogue about sitting down and identifying your goal, ask yourself the “Why?” of it, and list the steps you will take to get there.

I have often said here that you then need to look at each step to get to it, and not overwhelm yourself with the intimidation of the Whole Goal. Celebrate each step forward and build your self belief, and your momentum driving you on to the next step; bringing your objective into view.

Today I felt it was necessary to also discuss taking inventory of the elements you already possess and the need to become familiar with them, so that you can use them to take charge of the starting line of any goal.

Part of this list, I will grant you right away, to help you get started.

Courage. Yes I know you will hear it or have heard people tell you that it, “Takes a lot of courage to do what you are doing.” I just need to ask you, Have you recognized this within? It is not just the courage of stating what you are going to do, rather I am referring to YOU accepting your starting point on the journey. Embracing your beginning point – recognizing it.

For someone wanting to lose weight, it is embracing the number or size or visual representation they see now … and saying, “Okay, now I know where I am, let me see where I can go.”

For someone wanting to run a marathon, it is going for that first run around the block, stopping because you are winded, and saying, “Okay, I know how far I can go away from the car before I am in trouble, tomorrow let’s shoot for 1.5 times around the block.” ( No connection to me here whatsoever.)

For a writer setting a goal of writing a book, it might be simple enuf to accept that you do not know where to begin…and a little research is in order.


Courage to identify and embrace the starting line for what it is, and not to trip over it and look for an excuse to stall. This puts your goal within reach.

Wisdom. The wisdom to ask for help from those who have taken the journey before you and have knowledge to share.

Ignoring the footsteps of someone successful before you is committing Goal Suicide. You may as well admit you are stubborn to a fault if you convince yourself you have to do it on your own for it to mean something. Bull.

I feel you must understand that it is not weakness to call on resources for guidance or experience to get you started on the right foot – it is Triumph. For you are smart enuf to ask for knowledge you need but do not yet have – for the benefit of your goal. You still have to learn it, you still have to adopt and apply the experience to your own circumstances. You still have to measure you own success.

Training for an endurance race, a person with some base knowledge is wise to call on someone with direct knowledge for guidance in training for those elements they are not fully aware of. Take the knowledge, apply to your body, surround it with the goal… and see results start to flourish.

Writing my book, I recognized the opportunity to call upon someone openly offering their expertise, and I saved countless hours trying to find my starting line and relax with my priorities in order. Without that expertise, I would still just have a box of notes tucked behind everything in the closet.

Should you set out on a goal….today, tomorrow…or if you shared a moment with a dream yesterday… before you start to worry…remember you have Courage, and Wisdom to keep your vision clear. Let them set the dial on your determination, and you will see growth with every thought you dedicate to your Goal.

You can do it, and you have all the tools you need to get started.

Good Morning
Pierre Couturier

Husband, Daddy, Author, and Tool Collector