| A 7th century Arabian genius once said, "Success is | | | | playing field to manifest and make concrete their |
| the result of foresight and resolution, foresight depends | | | | visionary ideas and are often driven by this vision, |
| upon deep thinking and planning, and the most | | | | whether or not they are consciously aware of it from |
| important factor of planning is to keep your secrets to | | | | moment to moment. |
| yourself". The name of this genius was Ali Ibn Abi | | | | 2. They set targets and objectives that are in |
| Thalib, one of the most illustrious, noblest and brilliant | | | | alignment with this grand vision of theirs. They also |
| leaders of the continent-sweeping Islamic civilisation | | | | have the discipline to reject and ignore so-called |
| that was left behind by the Prophet Muhammad. | | | | opportunities, developments, innovations and |
| However, it is not the object of this article to discuss a | | | | temptations that are not in alignment with their great |
| religious figure or the history of a civilisation. The quote | | | | vision, often creating enemies because of this. |
| provided above is to set the impetus for the rest of | | | | Nevertheless, those who stayed faithful to these |
| this article. | | | | achievers and their vision prove themselves worthy as |
| "Success is the result of foresight and resolution, | | | | true friends and partners in bringing about their visions |
| foresight depends upon deep thinking and planning, and | | | | to reality. |
| the most important factor of planning is to keep your | | | | 3. They seek out the best possible methods to |
| secrets to yourself". | | | | accomplish what they seek, never settling for |
| It is impossible and illogical by definition and reality to | | | | mediocrity or lackadaisical efforts. To these achievers, |
| achieve any measure of success without any thought, | | | | the terms 'laziness' or 'hard work' are concepts foreign |
| planning or goal setting put into it. Any attainment that is | | | | to them. What they are driven by is their vision and the |
| borne out of randomness and chance is not to be | | | | goals they must achieve in order to meet that vision. |
| regarded a success at all, just as a momentous lottery | | | | Whatever it takes to accomplish those targets of |
| winning should not be called an achievement. | | | | theirs, they will accept, and although they are humans |
| The achievement of a goal, by definition, requires that | | | | too and can feel exhaustion, they do not view the |
| there be an element of conscious planning and | | | | necessary work as something to dread, but something |
| subsequent effort put into it, because a goal is a | | | | to live with, even enjoy. |
| purpose that any person, entity or enterprise is working | | | | 4. The great achievers are constantly learning. They |
| consciously towards. No matter how vague or clear | | | | learn from their mistakes, from other people's mistakes, |
| the goal is, some degree of planning, implementation, | | | | from their observations of the necessary goal-attaining |
| tracking and refinement is definitely involved. | | | | processes in which they are engrossed. |
| If you are to observe the life stories of achievers | | | | 5. They do not stop at simply learning, they also put |
| either in your lifetime or in history, you would realise | | | | their learnings into action, dynamically and consistently |
| that the truth about their success can be attributed to | | | | refining their methods in real-time. Sometimes the |
| a number of very common, universal, timeless and | | | | growth and improvements they obtain from their |
| unchanging factors - or principles. | | | | gradual evolutions borne out of their learnings can be |
| These undying principles are universally applicable to | | | | very minimal, sometimes they may achieve |
| almost every area or field of endeavor, from industry | | | | tremendous improvement, even breakthrough. |
| to academia, from the ivory towers of the corporate | | | | But in their minds, they do not discriminate between |
| world to the warmth, comfort and safety of a nursery. | | | | small improvements and big improvements, neither |
| Changes and challenges that are developing in the | | | | obsessing over making huge improvements nor being |
| world neither add to nor subtract from the validity of | | | | content with only small improvements. All sizes and |
| these principles, they only serve to create | | | | manners of growth are welcomed by them. |
| permutations and evolutions in the application of them | | | | If all the goal setting secrets of the greatest achievers |
| and not the essence. | | | | could be condensed into a handful of principles, the 5 |
| Now, what are these principles exactly? Here I shall be | | | | listed above would suffice. Every other discussion of |
| listing a few of my findings: | | | | planning, thinking, programming, intending, organizing, |
| 1. The greatest achievers are driven by a huge, | | | | managing or controlling are simply corollaries of the |
| humongous, all-consuming Vision either for their lives or | | | | above 5 principles. |
| for the world. They view the world as a perfect | | | | |