Youth Leadership Camps Canada

Stu-Pendous Blog - Goal Setting

These are the thoughts of speaker, author and camp director Stu Saunders.
For Stu’s original blog, you may still access his archives here.

• The GOAL is

  Jan 31, 2012

  I love setting goals, I don’t always complete them. Sometimes I completely fail. Sometimes I simply write them down and forget about them. The shocking thing is that MOST people do nothing at all, in fact in a Harvard study of their graduates, only three percent of the graduates had written goals and plans; 13 percent had goals, but they were not in writing; and a whopping 84 percent had no specific goals at all. This is Harvard, not some community college like I went to. This is supposed to be the best and the brightest.

  I really love that goals, if you choose, can motivate you to do more than you ever expected. I am currently writing a new book called, “I’m Not With the Herd”, it’s a book about the 2% (or less) of the planet that out-perform the rest of the 98%. It’s not because they are blessed with any super human powers or strength. Yes there are those of us that may be a bit quicker with numbers or more agile with a basketball or hockey stick in their hands. Please know they aren’t better as a person then you or I.

  Here’s an amazing thought to chew on; there are no extra people on the planet! Everyone is supposed to be here. Why? I don’t know. I know that you are though and so am I. So, why not set goals to do BE, DO and HAVE the life you want. You can create an amazing life. Why do you have to do the same thing every day for 365 and call it a year and then do that for 60 or 70 years and call it a life.

  I had a great friend visit last night and I hadn’t seen her in about 3 years. We shared a drink and got on the topic of why marriages don’t work. How most of our friends are either divorced, separated or hating their long term relationships. I think it’s because when you get married you fall into the trap of doing the same thing year after year. You don’t want to do it. You never plan on it happening. There aren’t many people that get married saying, “this will suck in a few years” or start a job and say, “I will hate this in 6 months”. It happens because once you “settle”, most of us stop. We forget the joy we had when it started. When you start most things they are always awesome. The goals are set every day. Sometimes without even trying! It’s exciting to do all the firsts. Same as a job or when you volunteer for a club or cause. It’s the thrill of the pursuit, the build up to the program or the creation of the cause.

  I had a chat with someone over the holiday’s and they proclaimed that the organization they volunteered for didn’t appreciate them enough, didn’t recognize them enough or properly. Who cares, that’s not what it’s about. It’s about doing something for bigger reason than ourselves. It should be the goal we set when we joined. We should set our goals in life, relationships, jobs and community service every day. Once you stop you join the herd.

  I am writing new lists tomorrow for February. I am also righting a few OUTRAGEOUS goals for myself to. Things I want to accomplish before I am 50. They are awesome. They are grand and that’s the best part. I realized I have already accomplished a ton but I want to do so much more. I have had the opportunity to bring other along with me and my goal 20 years ago has changed so many lives. The ripple effect of a little goal setting about 20 years ago this month created many new lives now.

  The goal, I think, is to be more by challenging yourself to do, be and have more. Write a list of goals today. Set three to accomplish in the next 30 days. It may not only change your world but many more for years to come. Some people you haven’t even met yet!

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Goal Setting Learning and Growing Motivation on Jan 31, 2012 at 11:04 pm | Permanent Link | Comments (5)

• I have less than a year to live

  Jan 2, 2012

  I have less than a year to live.

  Shocking statement isn’t it. If you are to believe a large amount of people that statement is true. Books have been written about it and a really bad movie made over 200 million dollars promoting the idea. Many believe that the world will end this December 21st on the Winter Solstice. This is a Mayan prophecy. It has also been said it’s not the end just the beginning of a new shift in the Universe. Still others have said the date has been misread and it won’t happen until the following year in 2013. Who really knows?

  Bottom line is, if it were true what would you do? Would you be proud of the life you have lived to date? Have you contributed to the world in a positive way? What have you accomplished and what have you put off?

  Perhaps a good idea would be to pretend that this is it. Your last year. If you knew for sure wouldn’t you live your days differently? If you can say no then good for you! If not, why not start to carve out a year you could be proud of. Look at how you spend your time. Who you surround yourself with and how you fill your soul. Do you read the great works and the biographies of amazing people or do fill your head with pages of gossip rags? Are you wishing you were living someone else’s life or are you creating a life you will be proud of?

  If this was the end, perhaps you should make this year a great start!

  “To make an end is to make a beginning.” - T.S. Eliot

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Goal Setting Family Life Learning and Growing Motivation on Jan 2, 2012 at 9:20 am | Permanent Link | Comments (2)

• The POWER of START

  Dec 28, 2011

  You just gotta shake it.

  I remember years ago I did the Tony Robbins personal power program. 30 days to a new life. It’s a lot of common sense stuff.

  One of the things that I remember is the idea of shifting yourself when you are tired, down or sad.

  If you just do the simple action of getting up, going for a walk, have a little stretch, making a call to a friend that you know is upbeat, writing in a journal, making your bed, starting a new book or making a cup of tea. These very, very simple actions can change your entire mood and direction.

  I always have said “I believe you can change your life in an instant.” This really is true and it does work.

  I was feeling down yesterday, we all feel down and that’s ok. It’s important to look at why your down. Is it something you’re avoiding, something you don’t want to deal with, is it winter blues or are you just riding the bitter bus? Sometimes it’s a BIG thing and sometimes it’s just you need some fresh air and sunshine, a long strong hug or a good healthy meal!

  Whatever it is don’t avoid it, embrace it and make a simple 1% action step to change. The journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step!

  I have to make a tea and you just need to START!

  Happy New Year!

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Goal Setting Leadership Learning and Growing Motivation on Dec 28, 2011 at 11:21 am | Permanent Link | Comments (4)

• Jiffy Change

  Dec 18, 2011

  I have been in the business of making peoples lives better for a VERY long time. More than 20 years. I am not saying that I am life-changer, I’m simply saying that the career in which I have chosen is one of change and development. Over the years I have worked with about 13,000 campers, about a 1000 or so staff and about 2,000,000 (two million) students and teachers. This is an awesome number when you stop and think about it. As I reflect on my year, I am once again humbled and honoured to be part of so many peoples lives.

  One of the things that has really stuck the last few years is the idea of manageable life change. We are always being told that we should set goals. Some say make them realistic, some say make them huge and audacious! Still others say goals are just instruments to remind us that we are failing or that we are not where we should be. I strongly disagree with the latter.

  I was reading an article many years ago about forming habits. How people need to create positive habits and get rid of negative ones. Then it hit me, aren’t habits just goals accomplished and now part of our daily lives? I mean if you want to get in shape you make a goal, then you start to create a plan to work out and eat right. That leads to a daily routine to reach that goal of new muscle or a new waist size. After you reach the goal most of us become hooked on the new healthy diet and/or the rush you get from exercising. You continue to do it long after the goal has been reached. Therefore the new lifestyle is now a life habit.

  With this in mind I developed the 22 Day Challenge. A series of small daily repetitive changes you can put into your life. There are many “experts” that say new habits take 21 days to form. Therefore the 22nd day instills that habit into your sub-concious, you just start needing to do it. There are those that say 40 days is the magic number. It doesn’t really matter, I believe that 21 days is a very real and manageable number. Three weeks of commitment.

  I do these all the time. I do them to help myself be better. To be a better dad, friend, partner, boss, camp director and speaker. I have taught this at camp and many staff have successfully completed 22 days of change in their lives. Some have even kept the habits going many months or years later. That’s the idea. It’s NOT about giving something up, it’s about starting something fresh. Many people participate in a religious practice of giving something up for a period of time, then when that time is over they go right back to doing what they gave up. Never understood that. To me that seems like a counter-productive practice.

  So, with all this in mind, I am inviting anyone to who is interested to join the 22 Days of Change program on Facebook. We will be a starting as a group on January 2nd, 2012. (never start anything new on January 1st). If you are interested please click on 22 Days of Change and “like” the page. Then, the key is to actually follow along and participate in the challenge. Please don’t just “like” it and then never check back. You are missing the point! I hope that you, along with me, will commit to 22 days of change. It can, if you choose, change your life forever.

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Goal Setting Leadership Learning and Growing Motivation on Dec 18, 2011 at 4:19 pm | Permanent Link | Comments (3)

• Moments of Clarity

  Oct 23, 2009

  Have you had them? Do you ever find yourself say… “Yes! That’s it.”?

  When you do, you need to jump on those moments. You need to embrace those moments. I am searching for one right now. The winter is coming, blah, it’s a time that I always start to question my future. What do I want to do with the next 20 years. I am approaching my 20th anniversary of what I do. Working in and with schools. 20 years, 2 decades that is a long time. I am truly blessed to have a good team and a wonderful support system. We have amazing clients and even more amazing staff. This year we worked with thousands and thousands of young leaders. It’s amazing what we do. I wonder if it’s what I want to do for the next 20 years.

  This is not bad, it is a healthy question. One you need to ask frequently. Am I happy? Nothing is perfect. There are always ways to make it better. You can grow exactly where you are planted. Change can come not from always moving, complaining or quitting but from attitude and approach.

  I like that.

  I think I just a had one of those moments.

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Goal Setting Leadership Learning and Growing Motivation on Oct 23, 2009 at 7:39 am | Permanent Link | Comments (1)

• Turn the key

  Jul 6, 2009

  One of my favourite phrases that I heard from my dear friend Robin Sharma was the idea of “the power of start”.

  Simple concept but yet so true. In order for any change to happen in our lives we must simply start the process. We can hum and haw all we want. We can research and debate the pros and cons of any change, but the excitement doesn’t happen until we actually start the process. Don’t be afraid to start small. We call them 1% action steps, small, sometimes tiny little movements towards the goal. It may not seem like much but it’s the act of the start that gives us the momentum to push, to grow and to complete whatever it is that we are trying to accomplish.

  So start today, make the change, start your engine!

  PS - YLCC 2009 started today, it’s so exciting to watch the 100 new campers arrive with such energy and enthusiasm. They are about to start their journey of leadership!

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Goal Setting Leadership Learning and Growing on Jul 6, 2009 at 7:52 am | Permanent Link | Comments (3)

• Short… sweet

  Mar 25, 2009

  I am sitting at my favourite Starbucks enjoying a latte. I know all the staff, I am a regular. The manager is sitting at the table beside me. She has just promoted a young barista to a shift supervisor. I am happy to see her so excited. I open my Macbook and look at my dozen new emails.

  “I don’t know it you heard?” says the manager as she leans over to me.

  “No, what’s the news?” I reply.

  “Sandy the other Starbucks Manager, her husband passed away on Sunday.”

  “How?!”

  “Sudden, don’t know all the details. Went into hospital on Wednesday and was gone on Sunday.”

  “How old?” I asked.

  “39”

  “I’m 39.”

  We were all silent for a few minutes.

  Life is short, we need to make it sweet. Be great, be awesome. Stop complaining about silly things that are truly silly. Hug your children, love your spouse, smile at a stranger, lead without title.

  Now.

  You know this stuff. I talk about it all the time. This is not new.

  “The sad part about it is we all go back to our lives and not think about it in a few days.” the manager adds as I empty my inbox.

  True.

  Need to stop that, need to stop.

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Goal Setting Leadership Family Life Learning and Growing Motivation on Mar 25, 2009 at 5:26 pm | Permanent Link | Comments (6)

• Focus - Commit - Follow through

  Mar 9, 2009

  My dearest friend returned fro a three week life changing program at the Hipprocates Institute in Florida. She is a breast cancer survivor and went there to detox and I mean DETOX! I won’t get into the details of it, but it was serious!

  When we got together for a tea yesterday I asked what she would tell someone about what she learned if she could only tell them one thing. She said…

  “Focus, commit and follow through.”

  If you do that with anything in your life you can change dramatically. Think about those three simple but powerful steps today. I am.
  

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Goal Setting Leadership Learning and Growing on Mar 9, 2009 at 4:57 pm | Permanent Link | Comments (3)

• Cani

  Feb 9, 2009

  I am a lover of learning. I love to learn it’s that simple. A true leader is in constant evolution. If someone says they “know it all” then they have stopped growing, growing is all about who we are as humans. I was listening to an audio program yesterday while I was running (great time to learn) and was hit with an awesome idea. The idea of CANi. I put the I in small case because that’s what you do (iPhone, iPod). Here’s the HUGE Idea… CANi stands for Constant And Never ending Improvement. That’s what life is all about, constant improvement. If you stay the same and do the same stuff and live the same routine eventually you will get left behind, depressed, stagnant… you get the idea.

  The greatest leaders, organizations, companies are committed to CANi. In everything they do, every single day! So here’s the question, are you committed to CANi? The answer should be a resounding YES! Ask yourself these three questions before you fall asleep at night, write it in your journal or simply tell someone.

  1. What did I learn today?
  2. What made me think today?
  3. What do I want to learn tomorrow?

  I would challenge you that if you don’t have an answer for number 1… you need to think about CANi!

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Goal Setting Leadership Learning and Growing on Feb 9, 2009 at 10:14 am | Permanent Link | Comments (4)

• The still pond

  Dec 31, 2008

  When I was a child I used to live by a giant pond. It may have in reality, been a tiny pond but as a small boy it seemed giant. I used to wade in knee deep and catch frogs and bring them home to keep as pets only to be told to release them later by my parents. There was a big old apple tree that we used to climb and rip off the crab apples and see who could throw them the furthest, if you hit the pond you were king. Then there were those days when you would sit by the waters edge and be in harmony with the crickets, the bull frogs and the birds. On those days I would peer down and see the reflection of a boy with unkempt hair and dirt on his face. Sometimes I would wonder if I would ever grow up, if I would stay that boy forever.

  Reality is I grew up. We all do. Some faster then others. Now as man in my 39th year of life, approaching 40 I stop and reflect. Some people I know spend their days still avoiding the reality of getting older, they fear the idea of being more mature, or responsibility. They still drink like they did when they were 21 years old, they sleep away their days with excuses. I even have a friend who lives with his parents… 39 and still at home. He says he has it “perfected”. Maybe he does… who knows?

  I have other friends still who are executives in big companies. Making lots of money and holding great positions of power. Although I wonder if that choice has cost them some of the innocence of life, some adventure. Then there are a few people I know who travel the globe choosing to live the ways of a transient, a gypsy. Country to country living off of this adventure called life.

  As I sit in my home at 5:55 am on New Year’s Eve day and write this blog I reflect back to that pond and then travel through my life. Looking at the adventure that it has been. The places I have gone, people I have met, the mistakes I have made and the celebrations I have been part of. I wonder what will come next? I wonder where I will be in 12 months. Who will I be in one year. I will be different, but how? The amazing thing is, as opposed to when I was a child catching frogs by the pond I am in charge. Sure life can throw you obstacles and challenges but it’s how I, as an adult deal with them.

  I wonder now if I was able to look down at that reflection in the pond what and who would I see? Who would look back at me?

  At the end of each day, after spending hours at the pond I would hear my mom or dad’s voice yelling for me to come home. I would run to my house and be full of stories, many I wouldn’t tell, many would remain my own secret wondrous adventure. Then after dinner I would find my bed and fall asleep dreaming of what was next, what would happen tomorrow? Never knowing what the next chapter would hold. It’s the same thing today. I have more control of my reactions but no more control of the day, or year that shall unfold, but I shall make the most of it.

  Happy New Year to all the STUpendous BLOG readers. Thanks for your comments and thoughts. I love writing it and I love that people read it. These are just my thoughts, not always right and quite often up for debate, but they are mine.

  Each year at this time I write my top ten wishes for the year so hear goes my top ten for 2009:

  1. A cure for Cancer.
  2. My dear friend Laura to get better.
  3. A cure for MS.
  4. Strength for my sister in law Arlie.
  5. Patience and understanding. We all could use more of that.
  6. For all of my family to all have a healthy and happy year.
  7. For my nephew CJ as he embarks on his new journey to the West. Be safe and be wise.
  8. For Brenda and Rich’s baby. May it be healthy and full of joy!
  9. YLCC, OSLC and the YLCC LTC to have another great year!
  10. I wish for PTY to be a success and that I have the strength to live the life I know I can.

  What are your wishes for 2009? Share them here on the STUpendous BLOG!

  Talk to you next year!

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Goal Setting Leadership Learning and Growing Motivation on Dec 31, 2008 at 8:44 am | Permanent Link | Comments (10)

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