1. something accomplished, esp special effort, great courage, etc.; a great or heroic deed: his remarkable achievements in art.
2. act of achieving; attainment or accomplishment: the achievement of one's object.
Achievement is the desired result of any and all Human Activity. First and foremost, in order to define an Achievement you need to engage in goal setting or defining what you wish to accomplish. The Human Spirit and our ability to think and reason, as a species, is what differentiates us from the rest of the life forms on the Planet. All of us think about the things that we wish to achieve every day of our lives from the time we are very young children. Uttering our first words, taking our first steps, making our first friend in the neighborhood - these are all activities that result in our first achievements. How we develop and approach Life in our formative years will have a significant impact on how and what we are able to achieve throughout the course of our lives.
The need for specific definition in regard to achievement is paramount; there are areas of Life that must be considered and separated when you are determining your Goals - Personal, Professional, Relationships, Family, Financial, etc. Having made those distinctions and completed the "compartmentalized" Goal Setting Process, you must then take the time and make the concerted effort to make sure that those Goals for each area of your Life mesh and allow you to achieve balance. Being realistic during this all important Goal Setting Process is equally important; setting your initial goals is akin to stepping on the first rung of a ladder - you must make the first step in order to achieve the ultimate desired result.
Achievement not only requires Goal Setting but, also, many other components in order to be successful. Making the concerted effort to reach your goals is the basis from which you will begin to build the foundation of each and every quest or Achievement Journey you commence. Practice and Trial & Error will be a part of the process - remember there are no worthwhile easy achievements in Life. Dedication to the task, persistence in the face of failure and the unbridled ability to never quit are at the core of succeeding at anything in Life. Once you have achieved the first desired result in any process, it is time to raise the bar, set the ensuing Goal and move up to the next rung on the ladder - this requires focus. The capacity to concentrate and eliminate all other distractions, to drown out the "Din of Life" for the potential of achieving your desires means that you must control the circumstances that you face each day - the circumstance must not control you!
There are so many people that we have met in our life and career that epitomize the concept of achievement. There are others that we have studied, read about, watched or listened to but do not know personally that have inspired us with their ability to achieve great accomplishments. Science, medicine, education, the arts, entertainment, athletics and many other pursuits all have there shining examples of achievement. Bill Gates of Microsoft and Steve Jobs of Apple have changed the way the World lives, works, plays, communicates, studies and exchanges information. Some say that their imagination, work and achievements are the greatest thrust forward for mankind since the Industrial Revolution - great accomplishments, indeed.
Over the last several years we have had the good fortune to meet several Professional Golfers who earn their living playing on the PGA Tour. Many of these men and women reside in Orlando, Florida where we happen to own a very fine restaurant and these Golfers have become our customers and friends. Of all these great athletes - Annika Sorenstam, Ian Baker-Finch, Nick Faldo, John Cook, Mark O'Meara and many more... Tiger Woods, of course, stands out in our experience as the epitome of Achievement. He has accomplished more in the World of Sport than anyone in recent memory. Not only in his chosen field of endeavor - Golf - but in sales and marketing, club design and very importantly giving back to the community this young man has no peer in the World, today. We had the great privilege of playing golf with Tiger and although during our round together we were more a spectator than a competitor - we learned a great lesson about Achievement.
The Lesson -
Focus, drive, determination, purpose, very clear goals and the pursuit of excellence through accomplishment should be at the center of your daily life in every activity that you engage in. If this is your approach to living, then you will be fulfilled simply through the Journey to Achievement, as much as you are by reaching your Goals.
If you enjoyed this lesson, we offer a companion video on Achievement at http://www.myRxforLiving.com.
Carl Bruggemeier (aka Mr "B") is the co-founder & host of myRxforLiving.com, an online life coaching membership community, where he seeks to share his wealth of life experiences with success-driven individuals, and build a community environment rich in personal development resources.
From a life coaching/talent development perspective, he has had a leadership role in training or developing over 35,000 people for his companies and many other enterprises. Fortune 500 companies, colleges and universities and industry and trade associations routinely ask Mr. "B" to speak to their groups on a variety of topics including effective communication, leadership, motivation, sales and marketing, re-concepting the entire business, and human resource development. During the 1990's, Carl was the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of a multi-unit publicly traded (NASDAQ) Restaurant Company which he founded.