Sailing To Success, or Are You Three Sheets To The Wind?

Three Sheets to the Wind or Sailing to Success

We have two options in life. We can be three sheets to the wind or sailing to success. Let’s look at the first option. The saying three sheets to the wind has its origins in eighteenth century British naval terminology. Sheets are ropes that control sails. The amount of sail, the angle of the sails to the wind, and the position of the rudder controlled three-masted sailing vessels of the day.

When a sheet is in the wind, the sailors have lost control of that sail. It lashes around in the wind, and the sailors lose control of their ship. Three sheets to the wind came to mean that a person has lost control of their faculties, presumably because they are inebriated.

Today most people are three sheets to the wind and don’t even know it. This is not to say that they are drunkards, but that they do not have a clearly defined vision of where they are going. They are caught up in the day-to-day at the expense of their big dreams and then wonder why they are not going where they want to. They have no ultimate goal or destination, so they are pulled and pushed by the vicissitudes of the life and tides of public opinion.

Option two is sailing to success. There are three key steps to sailing to success:

1. Choose a destination.

2. Chart a course.

3. Weigh anchor and set sail.

The first step is to choose a destination. Literally choose a destiny. Everyone is here for a purpose and finding your purpose, if you haven’t already done so, should be your highest priority. Think of a sailing trip: sailors have a destination before they set out. They might be going to Hawaii or Madagascar or points in between, but they know where they are going and have charted a course. You must have a destination.

When choosing your life destination, you might as well dream big dreams; in two to three years you can accomplish an itty-bitty goal or a huge dream. Have a goal or a vision you can be passionate about, something that will get you up in the morning. Each of us has a powerful wellspring within us just waiting to be tapped. You do not want to die with this life source still bottled inside you.

Jimmy Pattison, a Vancouver-based billionaire and entrepreneur who started out washing cars, said, “Those who dream big dreams also have the capability to achieve those dreams.”

You can call it a mission, a dream, a goal, a vision or anything else you want as long as you have one. Write down your vision and the date you want to accomplish it by. Leave your written mission statement somewhere that you will see it everyday—on your bathroom mirror, computer screen, or dashboard, for example.

The second step is to chart a course. This means making a high-level plan and strategy designed to take you where you want to go. You do this by breaking your big dream into smaller steps that are manageable and achievable. Decide who the people and organizations are that have the knowledge you need for success, and set a plan in place to meet those people and join those organizations, with a goal to acquiring that understanding. Just as a sailor charts a course around obstacles, so should you anticipate obvious encumbrances and create strategies to overcome them.

The third step is to weigh anchor and take action. Many people wait to be motivated before they take action—but it’s the other way around. Take action and motivation will follow. Every day, take one specific action that will bring you closer to your dreams. Look for the ways that day-to-day life, everything you do and think, can help realize your goals. Keep the vision of your dream emblazoned on the canvas of your mind, weigh anchor and set sail to your destiny of greatness.

Excerpt from Voyage to Destiny: Sailing to Success

by Kieran Harrop

Kieran is the author of Voyage to Destiny: Sailing to Success and also the president of Target Success Enterprises, an inspirational speaker and success coach who lives on the west coast of Canada with his wife and children. Kieran’s vocation and passion is to help others realize their dreams.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kieran_Harrop