Several times in my past posts I have referred to the importance of setting goals. They are necessary part of creating a path to success and they help us navigate the road that is required to achieve that which we desire. Being successful in our pursuit gives us the strength we need to set new and even harder goals. Failing gives us the tools we need to regroup and learn from that which kept us from being successful.

When we started out in the Bring Smiles to Seniors program our first year consisted of a nine month period. Everything was new and I had not set any goals for that year because I had no idea what our path was going to be. When we finished the first year with 7,719 cards delivered, I set the next year’s goal for 10,000. We were still fairly new and I thought if we could get close to 1,000 a month out we would be in good shape. We ended the second year at 18,810. What ever would I do for year three?

At the end of the second year I sat back in my chair and thought long and hard about what goal I would set for that year. We had really struggled to reach 18,000 and I thought if we could just get 2,000 more cards we could get to 20,000. However, we had changed our strategy and started to reach out to senior communities all across the country, so we not only needed cards, we needed donations for postage to be able to mail them all to the community activities directors to be delivered. By the time we got to the middle of 2018, I knew something special was going on. Our desire and drive to hit that 20,000 mark helped us to achieve our goal half way through the year. Not only that, we had delivered to a senior community in all 50 states. Where would we end?

We ended 2018 in a place that amazed us. We delivered 40,515 cards and for the first time we did not have to buy one single card last year and had enough money to make all our mailings to all fifty states – twice. Well that certainly put me in a predicament in setting 2019’s goal, as I either risk appearing to sandbag or I needed to see how far I could stretch us. After three successful years I chose the latter and set the goal at 50,000. As one of our volunteer’s put it, that placed us somewhere between being scared to death and being just crazy enough to achieve it. However, I knew when you set lofty, reasonable goals sometimes amazing things happen.

When I met our newest donor this week, I knew I had made the right decision. To achieve our goal this year we needed to get as many cards as last year and somehow 10,000 more. She presented me with 1,700 cards and committed to delivering 10,000 for the year. Bam! There it was, our pathway to 50,000 when (not if ) our last years numbers hold. When we are successful, our year will finish beyond our wildest imagination. That my friends is the power of setting goals, going after them with all your determination and then sitting back and watching amazing things happen.

Have a great day and remember to be the reason someone smiles.

Ron

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