Here is an interesting question that I would like to invite you to think with me about for a few minutes today. Have you ever seen a dog’s face right in the middle of him or her chasing a rabbit? Well, as one who has, I can tell you it’s the most interesting and exciting thing in all the world, especially for the dog. Believe it or not, this little allegory has a real principle that can make a tremendous difference in our lives. Before I get into it, here is another question to think about. How many rabbits can a dog chase at once? Of course, the answer to this question is one. 

Now, lest you think this line of questioning does not have any merit in your life, let me remind you of something. According to research, at some time during the day, from 30 to 90 percent of our citizens are bored, and most Americans spend 131 days per year while being bored. Now, this personal question, please. Are you bored, at least some of most days? If you said “Yes” and would like to change it, I have some suggestions for you and those with whom you share this column. To be sure, we don’t do exciting things or make exciting plans while we are bored. Now, I believe you will agree, life is too short to be bored, even some of the time. 

Back to the story of our rabbit chase for a moment. Just like a dog can only chase one rabbit at a time, as human beings we can only focus on and achieve one goal at a time. Once this is done, we can move on to another goal. This one goal at a time concept will take most of the confusion out of our lives. As I said, life is too short to be bored. This statement hits the nail on the head with something that causes a vast percentage of our citizens to be bored, day in and day out. When I represented the Nightingale-Conant Corporation, a major supplier of motivation and training materials, I learned that only one out of 20 people have a specific goal and can tell you what they are working toward and wish to achieve. These people have a written goal. 

If I am speaking directly to you and you feel this has any merit in your life, visualize the rabbit chase and notice that the rabbit is always out front. That’s the goal. Second, stop here and set some goals for yourself. Write them down on paper and decide on the single goal that is most important to you. This will give you a great feeling about your future. When you achieve this ONE goal, pick another one and set out again. I can promise you this. It will take most of the confusion out of your life, and by working on this single goal each day, you won’t be bored. It’s been a real joy for me, as this is the way I have lived for the past 50 years. 

Now, before I close, another important thought. Our goals only remain valid so long as we are free and our nation remains strong and healthy. As you probably know, in the past few years our southern border has been wide open and more than 10 million unvetted illegal aliens have come into our country. If you keep up with the news, you know that many of these people don’t like us, just like those who are rioting on college campuses across our country. The answer is the return to God because He blessed us to become the greatest nation in the world.

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(Jim Davidson is an author, public speaker, syndicated columnist, and Founder of the Bookcase for Every Child project. Since its inception in the Log Cabin Democrat in 1995, Jim’s column has been self-syndicated in over 375 newspapers in 35 states. For a personalized copy of “Your Future Begins Today” send $20, which includes postage and handling, to Jim Davidson, 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)