how many times have you heard the expression that most people spend more time planning their vacation than they do planning their lives. i would expand that expression by adding that most people spend more time "thinking" about their vacation than they do thinking about what's important in their life.

while rest and relaxation are a must in living a balanced life, it's not what we were created to do. after all, the master creator took his r&r (rest and recreation) on the seventh day, only after six days of "definitely directed thought."

wallace d. wattles, wrote "there is no labor from which most people shrink as they do from that of sustained and consecutive thought; it is the hardestwork in the world." and yet it is the first and primary labor of achievement.

my friend mike litman wrote an outstanding article for his ezine this week. it's called "the millionaire composite" and it analyzes one of the big differences between super-successful people and everyone else. he writes "i recently visited with a real estate multi millionaire mogul. what did i see next to his desk? his vision statement, along with a list of what he values in life---hand written.

"a few months back, i interviewed an individual who has sold over a billion dollars worth of products on television. he told me that he reads his life and business vision and goals daily, and that he takes time to visualize exactly what he wants to create-each night before falling asleep."

what is your life's purpose or your personal mission statement? is it written down? do you review it and think about it often? is your life organized around your purpose and a set of goals that support that purpose?

without purpose and goals - definitely directed thought - you are like the proverbial "ship without a rudder." there is power in your purpose and in your goals. it is the power that takes you over obstacles, the fuel that propels you toward the life you envision.