If a 4 Year Old Can Do It, So Can You

Ever think that setting goals just doesn’t work or that it’s too complicated?  A friend of mine told me a wonderful story yesterday that just might change your mind.

My friend, Erica has a daughter named Ellie. When Ellie was four, her mom and dad took a trip to California to celebrate Erica’s 30th birthday; the kids stayed home with grandma and grandpa.

Upon their return home, Ellie wanted to know why she hadn’t been included in the trip, and Erica explained that plane tickets to California were very expensive, so mom and dad had to go it alone that trip.  At that moment, at the ripe old age of four, Ellie set her sites on going to California.

The next week, she earned a dollar doing a chore for her mom and once paid, got an envelope, wrote “California” on it and stashed the dollar inside.  In fact, every time Ellie got money for a chore, or a gift she saved that dollar.  When telling the story Erica laughed and said at one point Ellie asked, “Mom, how much money do I have in my envelope?”  It was nine dollars, but Ellie was not deterred.

Month after month, chore after chore, holiday after holiday, Ellie saved her money for an entire year until she finally had enough money for that California ticket.  So, right before Ellie was to start Kindergarten, Erica and Ellie took that magical trip to California that Ellie had worked so hard to achieve, and it was wonderful.  In fact, Ellie is now eight and still setting and achieving goals.

The moral of the story:  There is no excuse for not getting what you want because if Ellie can do it, so can you.  Let’s get going and reach some goals!