A Childhood Lesson on Goal Setting: "Keep One Eye on the Goal, Two on The Process"
There was lengthy, wired fence that surrounded a school for disabled children near my home. As children, we used to have a local boys competition. We would see who could scale this fence and walk the length the furthest distance. The challenge was to keep your balance while walking forward and making it further than anyone before. It required an enormous amount of focus, patience and determination. I remember my most successful and last experience "walking the fence."
I was the youngest of all the contestants on this warm summer day. My brother, Drummond and several older boys had taken their turns on the seemingly ten feet tall fence. And it was now my turn. I swallowed my fear and quickly mounted the fence. I carefully straddled the fence as I planted my feet and slowly stood erect. I was proud to be standing on my own two feet. It must have been reminiscent of the first primate's steps toward humanity.
I focused my eyes on my my feet and their relationship with the fence. I took one step forward as I raised my arms like wings for balance in the wind. My entire body wobbled as I tried to keep control of my destiny. With one step down, I went for two and then three steps. The distant heckles and laughs from the onlookers began to fade away. I knew that I was becoming a threat to the previous record. My trembling body stabilized. Then, step four and five. I was almost to the end of the fence. The turning post had to be near. I lifted my head to see how far I had to go. It was only three or four steps away. Inside, I began to glow with pride. I was going to show them all. I was on top. No longer was I going to be "Drummond's little brother." My great feat would promote me to heights in the summer social sports line up I had never dreamed. Maybe, I would move up in the picking order in football team selection process. Maybe, just maybe, I would be picked first now. My skills and talent would be known to everyone. At this very moment, the entire neighborhood and all of its children would recognize my total dominance of the "Great Fence." I would go down in neighborhood history as the one who did the fence. The Tiger Woods of fence walking.
As these thoughts faded and my attention came back into the moment, I realized that I was on a ten feet tall fence and losing my balance. My body began shaking violently. I tightened every stomach muscle I had. I flapped my arms to the left to balance my rightward lean. Then, I flapped my arms to the right to balance my leftward lean. This shifting and see-sawing lasted for what seemed to be an eternity. The yells and screams of the other boys began to rise louder and louder. I heard Drummond say, "Jump Down! HARLAN JUMP DOWNNNNNN!!"
I remember thinking, "jump down and give it all up. Give up this opportunity of a life time. Give up my day in the Sun. Give up my chance to win BIG. No Way! All I need to do is get to the pole. Unbalance and sloppy, I leaped forward; one step and then two. No form or function, I moved forward. As I reached the end of the fence, my left foot slipped to the left and my right foot flew to the right. My body flew forward. And I landed crouch first onto the fence. The pain of manhood paralyzed my body. Stiff from head to toe I fell from the fence down to the ground.
I remember awakening up to a blurry blue sky filled with nappy headed boys surrounding me with panic on their faces. As the sky became clearer the boy's faces changed. Their teeth began to show and laughs started to pour out of them. The ringing of the pain subsided as Drummond helped me to my feet. I was now famous, for reasons unforeseen. And I had made it further than any one else had ever gone. The victory was bitter sweet.
The lesson I learned on that summer day in a University City park near Fullerton Street was to stay focused on the task at hand. And if you must look at the goal, do it before you get started.
Related Tags: goal setting, children, games, goals, process, fences, walking the fence, listening to the crowd
Harlan B. Hodge is a writer and social working in St. Louis Missouri. He is the creator and publisher of Teach and Learn Magazine, a DVD-Based publication. He conducts workshops and seminars on effectively using technology to enhance classroom learning and leadership. To reserve Harlan for lectures or workshops, please send an email to harlan@harlanbhodge.com
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