Deadline missed but goal still achieved

The capacity of the human brain to adapt and learn new skills never ceases to amaze me. When my mind learns a new skill and then puts that into practice it seems to be even more of a miracle. On behalf of all Baby Boomers who are, surviving the internet age, I want to take the liberty of shining the spotlight on a personal goal today. Not for my own glory but as an example of what our generation can achieve when we put our minds to it.

Readers who have read my story on the About page will know that I had an interesting and very different life in Southern Africa, was involved in farming after arriving in Canada in 2004 and then had to develop a completely new business after a heart attack in 2010.

I had finished school before personal calculators, computers, photocopiers or cell phones were available. My background was in marketing, sales and then farming. I did start fooling around on a Vic 20 with its cassette tape data storage and actually designed a workable simple menu programme in MS.Dos using basic language. I did get an IBM PC XT in the late 1980’s and upgraded to various improved models afterwards.

However, all I ever used those computers for in the pre-Internet days was spreadsheets and letter writing. Later in my own business, I did use accounting programmes.

Nothing in that background prepared me for social media, internet marketing, blogging, video production or any of the other things we take for granted now.

This week I published my first Kindle eBook, it is not a big book, some 30 odd pages depending on which format it is viewed. My goal was to have it published in 2011, it was 99% ready by Christmas but one small technical hitch took me a few days to overcome.

For an old farmer from the African bush who only started using the internet in the last 5 years, I am astounded that I got this far. If I can do it, then anyone can. The fact that my whole business and a big part of my life now relies on technology that was not even dreamed of and skills that would have seemed  as impossible as walking on water when I finished my school education is amazing.

The book examines why it is often easier to achieve difficult physical goals than business goals, identifies some key reasons and provides some answers that help with business goals. Some of the information was published in earlier posts on this blog, but there is a lot of additional information and a new section on “Flow” .

it’s on sale for $2.99 as a Kindle eBook on Amazon, you can download a free app to read Kindle books on a computer and another for Android phones.

Here is the Amazon link:

Achieving Goals: How to Use Marathon Runners Success Secrets For Business Goals
Treat yourself to a late Christmas present and order it today.

How about you, have you been stretched out of your comfort zone and achieved something that you would have thought impossible a short while ago? Share your story in the comments so that others can benefit.

Wishing you success in all your endeavours.