Marcel Legros - Play the Game of Life

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All my adult life I’ve swung between extremely unhealthy patterns and habits and healthy ones. Unfortunately, the unhealthy lifestyle choices I’ve made have far outweighed the healthy ones. After many years of alcoholic drinking, smoking, and careless spending, my world began to cave in on itself. I found myself in a life crisis of my own making. No one ever asks for personal disaster but for some of us slow learners, a crisis can bring necessary change. I had to make real changes in my life so I took immediate action. I started personal counseling, began attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and stopped drinking. I notice now that even though I have rough moments, my life is getting better and better every day. My personal relationships have improved almost miraculously since I stopped talking about living and started doing something about it.

Breaking free

What kept me out of recovery for so many years was fear. I was afraid of admitting I was wrong about anything. It turned out I was wrong about almost everything. The first step towards overcoming fear and inertia is to first accept that it’s okay to be wrong. It won’t kill you - in fact, it will make you a much stronger person. I feel now like the huge burden of being right all the time has been lifted and I’m excited to learn how to live again. One of the things I was told when I first started recovery was, “AA is simple. All you have to do is change everything, one day at a time.” This is a powerful statement. Alcoholics Anonymous teaches you to make sweeping positive changes in your life, but in small, manageable pieces. In the spirit of that, I’d like to share what I’ve learned about goal-setting. If you follow these guidelines, and you are willing to do the work required, you will always achieve your goals.

Goal setting guidelines

• Think about your goals and write them down - It’s not enough to have goals in your head. The simple act of writing something down makes it more solid in your mind. If you do nothing else but write down your goals, you’ll be ahead of 85% of everyone else. To help visualize your goals, start a goal journal or scrapbook. Collect pictures of what you want and paste them next to each written goal. Having a prize at the end of road is a fantastic motivator for long-term goals. However, be careful not to make the prize, your goal. Instead of saying “My goal is to own a Mercedes Benz,” say “My goal is become a successful business owner (or doctor, writer, artist, etc.) so that I can enjoy financial freedom”. If you focus on the result and not the work, you will almost certainly fail. If you focus on the work needed to achieve a result, you will always win.

• Categorize - Break goals down according to what area of your life they affect. A good starting point for categories include; peace of mind, health and energy, relationships, financial freedom, education, and self-knowledge (spirituality).

• Prioritize - Now that you’ve written down your goals, list them in order of importance. Draw a success wheel and find out what areas of your life need improvement. I explain the success wheel in my post “Is Wealth, Success?” It’s a great tool that shows you where you need to focus your energy.

• Set a time line for each goal - Decide when you will begin work, how often the work will take place, and a finish date for achieving the goal. Always break larger goals into shorter and smaller goals. This way you always have visible rewards and signposts pointing the way ahead. Your work will become enjoyable and energized if you track your progress this way. Your success for the long-term depends on how well you plan your short-term.

• Decide if you are prepared to pay the cost - Anything can be accomplished if you want it badly enough and you’re willing to pay the cost. A goal is only attainable if you are willing to do what it takes to get you there. Some things in life are relatively easy while other things require a lot of time, effort, and training. Research your goal thoroughly. If your goal requires training and experience, don’t take shortcuts. Take that course you need or get that university degree. Make your training a goal to be achieved along the path to a happy and successful life. If you want something and you’re willing to do the work, life will always provide what you need, when you’re ready for it.