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Success doesn’t happen by accident—it happens by design. When I began serving my 18-month sentence at Taft Federal Prison Camp, I felt lost. I had spent my career in finance, yet my decisions led me to prison. I needed a way to rebuild my life.
Soon after I arrived at Taft, I started to follow guidance from other people who’d already been in prison for a long time. They approached each day with discipline and purpose. One of my friends introduced me to books by Nelson Mandela, Viktor Frankl, and Frederick Douglass, and through their stories, I saw the power of goal-setting. I realized that if I wanted to turn my life around, I had to take control by setting clear goals and committing to them.
Without clear goals, it’s easy to drift through life, reacting instead of leading. Whether inside prison or out, goal-setting gives you:
I’ve been documenting my progress since I got to prison. I don’t know exactly what I’ll do when I get out, but I know that case managers in prison, and the case managers I expect to meet at the halfway house, will want to know more about how I served my time. From my experience before prison, i know that employers, mentors, and others like to see people who take initiative.
That’s why I started writing daily. I kept track of my reading, personal growth, and goals.
When I get out, I intend to build a business around all that I learned. One lesson I’ll teach them is to write out everything they’re doing–and then use that work to create new opportunities. This strategy of writing and publishing is one of the reasons my case manager recommended me for maximum halfway house placement. I’m getting out of here on May 20, 2009, and the countdown feels great.
Goals transform your time into an asset. Instead of waiting for circumstances to improve, you create your future. The discipline of goal-setting leads to credibility, financial stability, and a network of people willing to invest in you.
Your future starts today. Take control, set your goals, and begin the journey toward success.
What is one long-term goal that excites you, and what steps will you take today to make it a reality?
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