Have a Goal

I have many opinions and ideas about business - all of them correct... at least from a dog's point of view.

And people are beginning to catch on.  Just look at O2's new advertising campaign.  'Be More Dog'!  I bet they got that from me.

Anyway, I'm about to give you the benefit of my infinite doggy wisdom and, if you follow my wisdom, success is guaranteed.  Errrr... I may have over egged the pudding with that last comment, but only a little bit.

Thinking about that I was allowing me humans to watch a film the other night and it had a brilliant line in it: 'Everything will be all right in the end and if things aren't alright, then it isn't the end!'

Brilliant.

Anyway, I was thinking about the effect of having a goal on people and I remember a time we was out with Richard's puppy, Adam.

It was a while ago when Adam was a bit younger.  It was  a hot summer's day and we were out for a bike ride with Adam and his older sister Katie.  Well, they were out for a bike ride, I was running.  I can't ride.

I'm a dog.

Katie had ridden ahead and was a few hundred yards (sorry, metres) up the road when all of a sudden Adam just stopped.  'I can't go any further,' says he, 'My legs ache and I'm too hot.'

Richard stopped, too, wondering what he could do to get Adam to move and thinking it was a long walk home carrying 2 bikes and an 8 year old boy.

'Come on, mate,' says Richard, 'Let's crack on.'

'No, I'm not moving!'

Then Richard had a brain wave.

'I tell you what, let's get to Katie as quickly as we can and then we'll have an ice cream.'

Adam was back on his bike and peddling like mad before Richard could spell k-n-a-c-k-e-r-e-d.

So, let's examine the facts.  Adam, who a moment before couldn't go another yard (sorry, metre) on his bike because he was so tired was now peddling like mad to get to his sister who was waiting outside a row of shops.

What had changed?

Not Adam... not the distance to be travelled... not even the weather.

It was simply that he had a goal to aim for, something to achieve with a reward at the end of it... and that's the effect of having a target to shoot for.

Although it pains me to say it, me humans are pretty good at that sort of thing.  They have a long term goal in mind and then everything they do ties in to that goal.

So my piece of advice to you, me dedicated fans, is to set some goals, give yourself something to strive for and then go for it.  It's almost irrelevant whether you make it or not - simply having the goal, as long as it's stretching enough, will mean that your performance will improve.

Go forth and set targets...