150 Wisdom Stories to Build Good Habits

Chapter 8 Goal setting and action (1)
Inventory of Bad Habits
Do things aimlessly and do whatever you want;
Do not know what your goals are, or have goals but never achieve them;
Often set unclear and specific goals for themselves, and in the end they all become slogans and empty words;
Procrastinating and rarely completing a task in time;
Never make a plan when doing things, just take it for granted;

I just think about it without doing it, and I often make excuses for not being able to achieve my goal because I don’t have time...

Alexandre Dumas said: "Life without a goal is like sailing without a compass." The ocean of life is broad and deep. With a goal, one will not go astray or be at a loss in the turbulent waves.Therefore, teenagers should develop the habit of setting goals regularly.

A clear life goal is the "compass" to guide life, but you must know that the initiative is in your own hands.If there is only a goal but no action, then the goal will always be the goal. Therefore, it is recommended that young people should not only develop the habit of setting clear goals, but also develop the habit of not procrastinating. Once they have a clear direction, they must take action and move toward Strive hard for the goal.

Wisdom in buying a house
Mr. Jamie is an ordinary young man in his twenties with a wife and children and a modest income.The family lived in a small apartment, and the couple longed for a new home of their own.They hope to have a larger space for activities, a relatively clean environment, a place for children to play, and at the same time increase their property.

However, it is really difficult to buy a house, and you must have money to pay the down payment in installments.

One day, when Jamie wrote next month's rent check, he suddenly became impatient, because the rent was about the same as the monthly installment of the new house.

Jamie said to his wife, "We're going to buy a new house next week, what do you think?"

"Why did you suddenly think of this?" she asked, "Just kidding! We don't have the ability! Maybe we can't even pay the down payment!"

But he has made up his mind: "There are hundreds of thousands of couples who want to buy a new house like us, and only half of them can get what they want. There must be something that makes people dispel this idea. We must find a way to buy a house. .Although I don’t know how to raise money now, I must find a way.”

The next week they did find a house they both liked, simple and practical, with a down payment of $1200.The question now is how to scrape together $1200.He knew he couldn't get the money from the bank because it would damage his credit and prevent him from getting a mortgage on the sale proceeds.

Huangtian pays off, he suddenly had an inspiration, why not talk to the contractor directly, and ask him for a personal loan?He really did.The contractor was indifferent at first, but because of his insistence, the contractor finally agreed.He agrees that Jamie will repay the loan of $1200 by $100 a month, with interest calculated separately.

Now what Jamie has to do is scrape together $100 a month.The couple tried their best to save 25 dollars a month, and 75 dollars to find another way to raise.

Then Jamie thought of another idea.The next morning he explained it directly to his boss, who was also very happy that he was buying a house.

Jamie said, "Look, Mr. Bean, I need to earn an extra $75 a month just to buy a house. I know you will when you think I deserve a raise, but I really want to earn more now." A little money. Some things in the company may be better done on weekends, can you promise me to work overtime on weekends? Is this possible?"

The boss was moved by his sincerity and ambition, and really found out many things to make him work 10 hours on weekends, and Jamie's family happily moved into the new house.

good habit gas station
Bill Gates once pointed out that although action does not necessarily bring satisfactory results, there can be no satisfactory results without action.

Therefore, teenage friends, if you have a strong desire, take the first step to realize it actively, don't wait or procrastinate, don't find hundreds of reasons why you can't realize this desire, and don't wait All conditions are met.Because, if you don't act, you will never succeed.

Use the plan as a guide to quickly get out of "your own maze"

Michael majored in computer at the University of Houston at the age of 19. He is an avid music lover and also has a natural good voice. For him, becoming a musician is his biggest goal in life.Therefore, as long as he has time, he will devote himself to the music creation he loves.

Since songwriting wasn't Michael's specialty, he hired a young man named Van Neri to collaborate.Van Neri understands Michael's love and dedication to music.However, when faced with the distant music world and the unfamiliar record market in the United States, they found that they had no channels at all.

During a chat, Fan Neri suddenly said: "What are you doing in 5 years?" (Imagine what you are doing in 5 years)
Before Michael could answer, he rushed to say: "Don't worry, you should think about it carefully first, think it through thoroughly, and then tell me when you are sure." Michael thought for a while and said: "First, after 5 years, I hope To have a record in the market that is recognized and welcomed by everyone; and two, five years from now, I want to live in a place with a lot of music, and be able to work with some world-class musicians every day."

Fan Neri said after listening: "Okay, now that you have determined, let's look at this goal in reverse. If you have a record in the market in the fifth year, then you must be with a record in the fourth year." The company signs the contract.

"Then you must have a complete work in your third year, which can be presented to many, many record companies, right?
"Then in your second year, you must start recording with great works.

"Then in your first year, you must arrange and rehearse all your works to be recorded.

"Then your sixth month is to retouch those unfinished works, and then let you screen them one by one.

"Then your first month is to complete the current few songs.

"Then your first week is to make a list first, which songs need to be revised and which ones need to be completed."

Fan Nei Rui finished the above words in one breath, paused for a moment, and then continued: "You see, a complete plan is already in place, and all you have to do now is to follow this plan to carefully implement every step, one step at a time. Do it one by one, so that by the fifth year, your goal will be achieved."

As a result, by the fifth year, Michael's records were really selling well in North America, and he was busy working with some top music masters almost 24 hours a day.

good habit gas station
If you no longer have a full twenty-odd years, but only twenty or so opportunities, how do you plan to use the remaining twenty or so opportunities to make them more valuable?

Are you going to a concert, or sitting with your family, or going on vacation, or whatever?Many people don't have a complete plan in mind, however, not having a plan is itself a failed plan - you are planning your own failure.No one wants to fail, but they are unconsciously pushing themselves to the road of failure.

You can't guarantee to do everything right, but you will always have a way to do the most important thing right. Planning is a way to prioritize.Successful people are good at planning their own lives. They know what goals they want to achieve, and draw up a detailed plan-arrange all the things to be done in order of priority, and do them in this order.Of course, sometimes there is no way to go 100% according to the plan.However, with a plan, a person is provided with a priority order of doing things, so that he can complete what needs to be done within a fixed time.

Mark Twain said: "The secret of action is to divide those complicated or difficult tasks into small and simple tasks, and then start from the first one."

Whether it is study, work, or life, we must pay attention to grasping the progress of things as a whole. If we do not make plans for tomorrow today, we will not be able to achieve any results tomorrow!

Keep an eye on something and move forward
A philosopher walks in a field, pondering philosophical questions.Walking near a paddy field, he was surprised to find that the newly planted seedlings in the field were arranged very neatly, as if someone had measured them with a ruler.He was very curious, and ran to ask the old farmer who was plowing in the field what was going on.

The old farmer was busy planting seedlings without raising his head, asking him to take a handful of seedlings and plant them himself.

The philosopher rolled up his trousers and happily planted a row of seedlings, only to find that the seedlings were uneven and horrible.

He once again asked the old farmer how to plant a row of straight seedlings. The old farmer told him that when he bent over to plant the seedlings, he should keep his eyes on one thing and move towards that goal, and then he could plant a row of beautiful seedlings.The philosopher followed his words, but unexpectedly, the seedlings planted this time turned into a curved arc across half of the paddy field.

He humbly asked the old farmer again, and the old farmer asked him impatiently, "Are your eyes fixed on something?"

The philosopher replied, "Yes, I'm keeping an eye on the buffalo grazing over there. That's a big target."

The old farmer said: "The buffalo is walking while grazing, and the seedlings you planted are also moving. How do you think this arc comes from?" The philosopher suddenly realized.This time, instead of taking the moving buffalo as a reference target, he fixed his eyes on a big tree at the end of the paddy field.

As a result, he inserted very neat and beautiful seedlings.

good habit gas station
Having a "clear main goal" in everything you do will help you develop the habit of making quick decisions.Carnegie, the steel king, gave us this advice: "Put all your eggs in one basket, and watch the basket so that none of them fall out."

Those who are most successful are those who can make decisions quickly and decisively, and they always work with a clear, unmoving special goal as their main goal.And those who are half-hearted and change their goals often end up doing things very badly, or even accomplishing nothing.

Teenagers are in the spring of life, and you can see many things in life, but if you choose a constantly moving thing as your goal, it will bring adverse effects to yourself.Therefore, from now on, develop a good habit of firm goals!

Seize the present and the days to come
A young man visited an old scholar in his 80s.In the scholar's cramped kitchen, the young man confides his inner confusion to the scholar.

Scholar: "You should seize the present and the days to come."

Young man: "Yes, I'm trying my best. But, I've wasted ten years."

The scholar shook his head: "Darwin said that he snoozes and wasted time, but wrote "Natural Selection"; Oppenheimer said that he hoeed and pulled weeds, wasted time, but later became the father of the atomic bomb." '; Hemingway said that he wasted time hunting and fishing, and finally won the Nobel Prize; Mrs. Curie said that she wasted time for children and housework, but she not only discovered radium,

And also educate children to become scientists. "

The young man yelled: "These people are geniuses! I'm just an ordinary person, a stupid ordinary person!"

"You have the right to judge yourself as a stupid ordinary person. But I say that as long as there is a definite goal, doing anything at any time will not hinder thinking and research, and even help thinking and research. They think Time wasted that wasn't actually wasted."

The scholar continued: "When I was 70 years old, I wanted to complete a research project that would take 10 years to complete. At that time, I asked a young man in his 30s
When a friend talked about the plan, he smiled.I know why he laughs. In his opinion, a 70-year-old man is running out of time, what else can he do? 10 years later, my work was on schedule and I am still busy in the lab. The scholar straightened his chest and smiled.

"Where's your young friend?" asked the young man.

"No longer young, already middle-aged!"

"For him, the past 14 years should be the golden age. I believe he has a very good record."

"No, he also admitted that the past 14 years were a blank, a real blank."

"why?"

"Still bustling and mediocre. 14 years have passed in the blink of an eye."

These words were like a blow to the head, and the young man was stunned.

good habit gas station
People with ideals are always refreshed and young forever; with the guidance of dreams, they will never waste their time.Therefore, our young friends must set clear and realistic goals for ourselves, so that we can maintain abundant energy and high enthusiasm at all times, so as to make our lives more beautiful and exciting.

Entrance test questions
In May 2001, Madison Middle School in Nevada, USA, asked such a question during the entrance examination: Bill Gates had 5 lockable drawers on his desk, which were respectively labeled Wealth, Interest, Happiness, Honor and Success. 5 tabs.Gates always carries only one key and locks the other 5 keys in a drawer. Which key does Gates bring?Which drawer or drawers are the other 4 locks in?

(End of this chapter)