Dom Kureen returns. Guest opinion articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication. Ed
A hero of mine, which surprises a lot of people who know me, is Arnold Schwarzenneger, a perfect example of someone who set what most would perceive as unrealistic goals, which he not only achieved, but SURPASSED.
Never selling himself short or suffering with self-doubt, the ‘Austrian Oak’ has led a legitimately inspirational and fulfilled existence: undoubtedly an extraordinary man.
“I knew I was a winner back in the late sixties. I knew I was destined for great things. People will say that kind of thinking is totally immodest. I agree. Modesty is not a word that applies to me in any way – I hope it never will.”
Setting goals
Whether you love, hate or feel indifference towards him, Arnold Schwarzenneger is a fantastic illustration of the potential power of goal setting. After moving to the US in 1968 at the tender age of 21, he became a serial setter – writing his ambitions on index cards at the beginning of each year.
He wanted to become the greatest body-builder in the world, which meant winning the title of Mr Olympia, something he achieved when becoming the youngest ever victor at the age of 23 (he won the title a further six times) and also gained the prestigious Mr Universe crown on three occasions, psyching out such body-building luminaries as Lou Ferrigno (The original Incredible Hulk) with his unshakable self belief.
Young millionaire
He wanted financial success and was a millionaire by the age of 25 thanks to body-building prize money, successful business investments and, to a lesser extent, one terrible film called Hercules in New York (this was before Hollywood’s top brass came calling). He is now worth an estimated $300m.
He wanted to become a successful Hollywood actor – His first agent told him that he was dreaming, that with his name, accent and over muscled physique he had no chance.
He fired the agent on the spot and has to date starred in almost 50 movies, including the first three Terminator films, Kindergarten Cop, Predator, Last Action Hero, True Lies, Total Recall and Twins.
High profile political career
He wanted a high profile political career and served as the Governor of California from 2003 until 2010. An interesting aside: he has also been the husband of 27 years to Maria Shriver (related to the Kennedy family).
An initial record high 89% approval rating in the state and some popular decisions provided a promising platform from which to build, although admittedly by the end of his seven year tenure things had unravelled, with only 23% of voters approving his efforts and the ‘Governator’ losing credibility by sponsoring some unpopular ballot measures.
Go big or go home
Schwarzenegger once said that the only thing a person needs to change their health and lifestyle is “a committed decision to reach a predetermined specific goal, combined with burning desire, followed by immediate, massive action repeated consistently for as long as it takes until your goal is reached.”
Goal setting is not necessarily lame or a waste of time as long as it’s channelled in a positive way. A lot of people write a list of resolutions that are either easy to accomplish or they are likely to get distracted from.
Think about Arnie next time you decide to itemize aims and desires. Just bear in mind that it usually requires a series of baby steps, not just one massive leap. Most importantly, to coin a phrase, aim for the moon and even if you miss you’ll land among the stars.
Image: Nate Mandos under CC BY 2.0
