I went deer hunting last week and killed a nice 3×2 buck. I missed a much bigger buck several times, and I was bummed about that, but I have had many years of deer hunting in the past when I didn’t even see a deer, so I am thankful for what I got. I replayed my mistakes 10,000 times in my mind, and I am confident that next time I will not make the same mistake. But at my age, I may never have a next time!

One of the reasons many people do not set goals for themselves is that they dislike the disappointment of not achieving their goals. They find it easier to take what comes without getting their hopes up for something great or big in their life. There is undoubtedly less disappointment in life when we don’t dream big and don’t set ambitious goals for ourselves, but there is also much less accomplishment in our lives without the passion and drive that goals inspire in our minds. The key to satisfaction in life isn’t to eliminate the potential for failure and disappointment that comes from unrealized dreams by going with the flow, but to manage our self-talk when we fail to accomplish a goal. The formula is to dream big, aim high, work hard, be very grateful for whatever the results are, and plan how to make the next time a success. It is incredible how quickly disappointment fades when you rejoice in everything, figure out what went wrong and why, and make new goals.