The Hidden Step
www.necouncil.org/the
hidden
step
STEP ONE
ignite your inner fre
ingredient one - the goal
ity. He must make these computations instantly and
begin to move. Next he must compute his running
speed and direction in order to arrive at the point of
interception at the same time as the ball.” Without
the ball present, this mechanism does not engage in
c
omputations necessary to catch a ball. The compu-
tations occur automatically when the baseball player
decides to catch the ball. Similarly, when the goal is
vividly visualized, this mechanism is turned on. It
starts engaging all the necessary mechanisms within
you that would otherwise remain dormant.
When it is turned on, you feel motivated. When you
feel motivated, you achieve. When you are achiev-
ing, you feel energized, rejuvenated, and alive.
Without a goal, we lose our sense of purpose and
eventually lose our sense of direction.
Study after study over the past decades has shown
that those who retire and stop achieving, die within
5 to 7 years. Those who continue to work live lon-
ger and healthier lives. A recent study featured in
a British medical journal was stunning. T
he study
included men and women who retired at ages 55,
60, and 65 or who were actively working at ages 55
or 60 between January 1, 1973, and December 31,
2003. Overall, the researchers reported that 80% of
workers who retired by age 55 died by age 65, and