While accepting the Oscar for the Best Actor last night, Matthew McConaughey talked about his hero. From the time he was 15, he decided his hero was himself 10 years down the road. “My hero’s always 10 years away, I’m never going to attain that. That keeps me with somebody to keep on chasing” he said.
I couldn’t think of a better way to look at long term goal setting. 10 years is a long way away. It is tough enough to predict what you will do next year, next month, next week, or even tomorrow. So how do you look up to yourself a decade into the future?
To be the person you want to be in 10 years, start with looking at who you are today. Each day is a chance to build on what you will be in the future. Grasping opportunities that will lead to continued growth and continued learning will allow you to position yourself into the future you dream of. Also look at your mentors, how did they get where they are? What parts of their journey can you take into your own development? As you move along your journey, constantly ask yourself if today helped you become what you want to be in the future. You can be your own hero and I don’t think anything can be more motivating than that.
