Greatness the dark side Rule3 : Go BIG & small Too

Goal setting is crucial in one’s life. Everybody sets goals each day. We might strive to be at work on time, to finish those reports by 2 PM, and have dinner made and ready by 6 PM. We might wish to start a workout program or save money.

Some goals we are aware of, and these give us a sense of purpose and guidance to what we desire most. But without consciously setting goals and markers for achievement, we are left feeling lost and without any value. Plus, we deny ourselves opportunities for success. We learn to manage our time better when we have goals to reach and feel less dissatisfied with how our time is spent. Plus, having achieved a goal makes you feel great about yourself and your ability.

Without goals, our life is nothing. It is a good idea to set small goals, so that you can achieve steps along the way and build confidence, and also to set larger goals, so your life has a meaning and purpose. If you would like to get some insight on how these greats achieved their goals, read the following passages, and see how they overcame their hurdles to become the admirable people, we know them as today.

Walt Disney 

Disney is a one who is synonymous with success. He built an empire based on goal-setting and achievement of those goals.

“All our dreams can come true if we dare to pursue them.” – Walt Disney.

The man who would be known for creating the world’s favorite mouse and the happiest place on Earth was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 5, 1901. Walter Elias Disney moved when he was four years old out of Chicago to a farm in Marceline, Missouri. He loved living on the farm with his three brothers, all older than him and his little sister, Ruth. It was at this farm that Walt realized he enjoyed art and drawing.

After four years on the farm, Disney moved to Kansas City. Walt kept up with his art hobby and took classes on the weekends for art. He would give his drawings to his barber in exchange for haircuts that were no cost. Like many other greats, he started humble – working on a train selling concessions and newspapers to the riders. He would walk back and forth and enjoyed the job. Disney would be fascinated by trains for the remainder of his life as a result.

It was not until high school that his family moved back to Chicago. Walt took classes at the Chicago Art Institute, where he drew pictures for the school newspaper. At the age of 16, Disney felt loyalty to his country and wished to serve in World War I. He was too young, so instead, he took a job working for the Red Cross. He drove ambulances for them in France.

After the First World War, Walt returned and was ready to begin his artistic career. He worked at an art studio and then moved onto an advertising agency. It was at this time he met with artist Ub Iwerks, who taught him all about animation.

Walt Disney wanted to make his cartoons. So, he set a small goal and reached it – to start his own company called Laugh O Gram. He hired Ub Iwerks and some other friends, and they created cartoons that turned out to be very popular. But sadly, the company did not make enough money, and they had to declare bankruptcy.

It was time for Walt to start over. He moved to Hollywood, CA, in 1923, and with the help of his brother, reached another goal, opening Disney Bros. Studio. Ub Iwerks and some other animators were brought on board, where they created a character called Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Universal Studios gained control of the trademark for the character and took all of the animators working for Disney except Iwerks.

So again, Disney started over. He created Mickey Mouse, and in turn, also produced the first animated film with sound that starred Mickey and Minnie Mouse. It was called Steamboat Willie, and Walt even did all the voices himself.

How did this goal help him build the Disney company from the ground up? What did Walt possess that made him so goal-oriented?

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Walt Disney.

Disney’s goal of creating animated cartoons was the catalyst to what would become a big empire and most beloved movie company of the entire world.

His goal of drawing cartoons was called a “folly” by his peers. It was in 1932 that Disney stated he wanted to make a full-length movie called Snow White. People thought a film that long could never happen as an animation. The film took five years to be put together and was released in 1937. It became the top film of 1938 and is still enjoyed by people today.

The money achieved from his first big goal would finance the bigger goals he had in mind. Disney used the money from Snow White to build a studio and produced favorites like Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Bambi, and Dumbo, among others. Disney was also contracted by the U.S. Government to create training and propaganda films. After the war was over, Disney worked to create live-action films next to his animated movies.

Disney’s next idea was to create a theme park that featured rides based on the movies he made. The first Disneyland opened in 1955 and was $17 million to build. The park was a huge success and continues to attract families around the world, seeking fun and magic.

Even though Walter Elias Disney faced plenty of setbacks, he never lost sight of his primary goal, and today his company is one of the largest and most recognized in the entire world.

Warren Buffett

Warren, that man who knows what it means to be humble and work hard. He started with small goals and built his way up.

“It is not necessary to do extraordinary things to get extraordinary results.” – Warren Buffett.

Warren Edward Buffett was born in 1930 to a stockbroker Howard Buffett and his wife, Leila. Buffett demonstrated an interest in stocks early on, buying three shares on a visit to the New York Stock Exchange at age 11. He supposedly told a childhood friend that if he was not a millionaire by the time he hit 30 years old, he would jump off the tallest building in Omaha.

When he was 13 years old, Buffett got a job as a paperboy. He worked hard and delivered papers on the morning and afternoon runs, earning himself $1000 – his short-term goal. It was in 1944 that he filed his first tax return.

While in high school and grade school, Buffett sold stamps, Coca Cola, golf balls, and even magazines going door to door. On top of all this, he was working as an editor for a tip sheet about horse racing called Stable Boy Selections. He also further diversified his income by starting a pinball leasing business. A partner and he purchased cheap pinball machines, made sure they were working, and then installed them where the money would be made.

Buffett further met his goals by taking the $2000 he’d made by age 15 and bought a farm in Nebraska. A farm laborer he hired worked the land, and the profits he made put him through college. After getting his BS, he moved onto a bigger goal: Harvard Business School. This school rejected him, and he instead attended Columbia Business School, where he graduated in 1951.

Buffett took on several different jobs as the years went on, and from 1951 to 1956 was an investment salesman as well as a securities analyst. He made a good chunk of money and wanted to retire at age 26 but realized that if he wanted to meet his goal of millionaire status, he had to work harder. This led to the acquisition of Berkshire Hathaway in 1964.

How did such small goals help Buffett reach his Billionaire status of today? From paperboy to Billionaire, goals, and drive to achieve them were the catalysts to success for Buffett.

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” – Warren Buffett.

Buffett’s goal to become a millionaire ultimately led him down the path of hard work and good business decisions. His first and most famous influential business dealing was in 1964 when he acquired Berkshire Hathaway.

Buffett first invested in the company in 1962. The Buffett Partnership had been wildly successful, but Buffett decided to dissolve the firm in 1969, instead focusing on getting Berkshire Hathaway developed. He phased out the company’s original textile business, and instead opted to buy up media, oil and insurance assets.

He began to invest in Coca Cola in 1988, gaining a 7% stake in the company. Buffett became a Billionaire when Berkshire started selling Class A Shares in May 1990.

Since that day, Buffett has pledged to give away most of his wealth and fortune to charity, specifically the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

King is a man who sets a lofty goal of ending segregation, not to be rich, like Buffett. And he would achieve it too, over many years of hard work. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist. He led protests that were non-violent and peace-oriented to help fight for the rights of all people, especially African-Americans.

His goal was to make America a society that did not see color – that is, a society where the color of skin would not impact a person’s civil rights. He was a great speaker then and is still loved by many today, with MLK Day being celebrated every January 15th.

Martin Luther King Jr. first got into civil rights when he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

This began when Rosa Parks, another great individual, did not give up her bus seat to a “White” man. She was arrested and jailed, and Martin organized a boycott of the public transport system in Montgomery.

This small goal was one of many to get the rights African-Americans deserved. This goal was so great, could it ever be done? How could goal-setting help King down this complicated road?

“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today, African Americans are given the same rights as everyone else as a result of his persistence. Martin Luther King Jr. would face many bumps on his road to success. His own home was bombed as a result of his activism. But he never lost sight of his goal, and this is best characterized in his “I have a dream” speech. It was here that the famous March on Washington happened.

A quarter-million people attended the march to show just how important civil rights are. Some of the issues that supporters wished to resolve included an end to segregation in public school, police abuse protection, and actions that would no longer permit discrimination in employment.

This march was the moment of the famed “I have a dream” speech, and the parade was a great success. One year later, King realized his ultimate goal of having the Civil Rights Act passed in 1964.