Favorite Inspirational Quotes

Never look down to test the ground before taking your next step; only he who keeps his eye fixed on the far horizon will find the right road.

Dag Hanmarskjold

You do need to know where you are going so you can see the right way to go.  However, sometimes when the going gets rough, you may find it best to concentrate on just getting through the next 50 feet.  Once that’s done, you can concentrate on the next 50.

If the ground under your feet is rocky or hazardous, you do need to look where you are putting your feet.  But you must look up now and then toward the far horizon to be sure you are still on going in the right direction.  If you don’t, you may get off-track.  You could also become diverted by things along the way.

The method I use to translate this into my daily life (OK, every week day) is to spend a few moments before beginning my work to look at and write down my long term and short term goals.  That is looking at the horizon for me.  Others could use a vision board or a mind movie they view each morning before starting their work day.

Then I use my new Action Enforcer, a time-boxing tool that really helps me focus, and set up today’s tasks.  These tasks are the next 50 feet to get me to my long range goals.  I decide what the next 50 feet is and then I concentrate today on getting through it.  Action Enforcer helps with that by keeping me moving on through my tasks and through my day.  This is a simple way of chunking down my goals.

So, yes, I need to keep my eyes on the far horizon but I also must concentrate on the here and now that gets me to the far horizon.

Tags: Dag Hanmarskjold