Wayne is a young married man who has always been ambitious and idealistic. In this candid interview you will discover that through hard work and determination Wayne has set and reached goals since his school days.
His goal setting has continued into adulthood, and as he says his goal setting activities are "part of moving forward in life." Wayne also offers great advice for everyone.
I trust you will find something of benefit in this interview.
Hello Wayne, thank you for taking the time to do this interview. I appreciate it, and I'm sure my visitors will enjoy it.
Wayne: Hi Colin. My pleasure and I look forward to doing this interview.
Colin: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself.
Wayne: Well I grew up in a rural area of South Africa called Kwazulu Natal, where I lived until after high school. After high school I attended university in Durban and upon completion of my degree decided to travel to London to work. I have since traveled and worked extensively abroad as well as returning to South Africa for a few years working in the IT industry. I am married and am currently living in New York.
Colin: Did you have any goals when you were in school, and what were they?
Wayne: Well I have always been ambitious and idealistic, and to achieve these goals is an important factor. My goals while at school were to represent my province (state) at the different sports that I was involved in.
Colin: Did you reach any of the goals you had while in school?
Wayne: yes, I represented my province at soccer, tennis, athletics and cricket.
Colin: As we grow older, our dreams and goals usually change. What are your goals today? What goal have you already achieved?
Wayne: My goals today are still being defined as I further my career. An important goal I set myself, which I achieved, was to achieve a post graduate degree and I subsequently after a lot of hard work have obtained two Master’s degrees.
Colin: In deciding on your goal of post graduate study did you make any conscious efforts for the pursuit of that goal. For example, do you have your goal/s written down? Do you visualize your goal already achieved? Or do you just "go with the flow" as they say?
Wayne: Well, writing your goal down is one way to constantly be reminded of what needs to be done. What I found was helpful was to organize your life in such as way that there are no excuses or reasons to deviate away from the time and effort that is needed to be devoted to achieving your goal.
Colin: Do you think things would have turned out differently, if you had followed a “formal” goal setting plan? Or do you feel the result would have been the same?
Wayne: As I am a very organized person I can honestly say that a formal goal setting plan would be a definite advantage to achieving your goal.
Colin: Did you encounter obstacles in working towards your goal, and if you did, how did you overcome them?
Wayne: Of course there are obstacles, such as financial, time, personal issues, but that is why the goal setting plan is so important as once you have a set goal you learn to work it into your lifestyle and your entire focus is devoted to achieving your goals.
Colin: Were the obstacles unexpected, or did you anticipate them, or perhaps think of possible obstacles?
Wayne: In my case the obstacles were totally unexpected. My father was diagnosed with cancer, and as I was working full time and studying part time, the need arose that he had to be taken care of, which meant that I would have had to give up either my job or my studies. Fortunatley, as I had a goal setting plan I was able to accommodate my father’s needs with my studies and work.
Colin: Did you need to overcome any obstacles from other people [negativity, ridicule, etc.], or do you need to overcome obstacles from others in the pursuit of your present goal? And would you mind sharing what they were/are?
Wayne: I would say Colin that the external obstacles are not the problem, however, it is the internal obstacles that we create for ourselves that tend to drag us down and force us to quit.
Colin: How important do you regard the support of others, like family or friends, in helping you achieve your goal?
Wayne: Once again they are important as any support is, but most of the drive and "never give up" attitude has to come from yourself.
Colin: Who is the one person that has helped or supported you the most in achieving your goal?
Wayne: My wife.
Colin: How often do you think of your goal, and the path to achieving it?
Wayne: All the time. That is why we embark on such goals as they are important to us for whatever reasons.
Colin: Have you ever written down your goal, or do you now have your present goal written down?
Wayne: yes, and I advise writing down your goal wherever you spend significant amount of time per day e.g., on your PC desktop, on your bathroom mirror, on the fridge.
Colin: Do you think having your goal written down can improve the possibility of achieving it?
Wayne: Definitely, you have to stay focused.
Colin: Do you think that a coach could have helped you reach your goal easier?
Wayne: Well, I would say it would help, but having never used any goal setting coaching I do think it has its benefits.
Colin: Did you feel satisfied after achieving your goal, and did you immediately know what your next goal was? Or did you “take time out” after reaching your goal?
Wayne: Yes, extremely satisfied. I have set a new goal and I find that setting goals is now part of moving forward in life.
Colin: Did you, or do you, ever feel like giving up on your goal, and if so, how often?
Wayne: Many times. Practically every day.
Colin: If you did feel like giving up, what would you say was the reason?
Wayne: Usual factors, financial reasons, not wanting to spend my free time doing ‘extra’ work. But at the end of the day hard work pays off.
Colin: Do you feel luck played a part in you reaching your goal? If so, could you tell us in what way luck was a part?
Wayne: Nope, just hard work and determination.
Colin: Are you satisfied with where you are, at this point in your life? If you aren’t, what do you feel you want more of, or what do you still want to achieve?
Wayne: I am happy with what I have achieved. I still have a lot I want to achieve but that changes as time goes by.
Colin: If it were possible to start over today, what would you do differently?
Wayne: I would not self doubt myself as much. Anything is achievable.
Colin: Do you have any words of advice for my visitors?
Wayne: If you have an idea, passion, aspiration or ambition, go for it. Set goals for yourself and don’t give up. You will be surprised what you are capable of when you give yourself a chance.
Colin: Thanks again Wayne, for taking the time to do this interview. I wish you all the best for the future, and may you experience only the best that can be.
Wayne: Thanks Colin, I hope that I could shed some light and good luck with your goal setting site and venture. I am confident that it will help change many lives for the better.
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