This is a story that relates to Goal setting and Determination. It is about a well renowned actor named Sylvester Stallone, this story will outline the opportunity that goal setting can create for you and how determination really does pay off.

Stallone was described as being unappealing to the eye, he had little acting experience and his speech was very slurred. In spite of all this, one thing was apparent, he wanted to be a film star.

Stallone had a goal and he was set on achieving it. He was a newly wedded husband and had his wife, child and dog to support. He was under serious stress and pressure to succeed. He landed some small film roles, but they did not give him much notoriety. Not only did Stallone have a passion for acting, he had a growing interest in film writing. So in 1975 he put pen to paper and started to write the Rocky film, this film was about the rise and fame of a small time amateur boxer. He was inspired by the Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner fight. Wepner had been knocked out in the 15th round by Ali, but nobody had ever expected him to last as long as he did, that thought is something that Stallone held on to.

Stallone created and wrote the entire Rocky film within three and a half days, he then hit the L.A. movie sector with it in search of a film deal. The Rocky story was immediately recognised as such a great script that he was offered $20,000. Wow! You might say, not bad for a few days work...Stallone actually turned the offer down!

This was a man who only had $106 in his bank account, had mounting bills and even had to sell his beloved dog in order to feed the family, yet here he was turning the offer down because the producers wouldn’t let him play the lead part of Rocky due to what they described as his unattractive appearance, speech slur and lack of experience. So he left empty handed.

Stallone was soon offerered a $100,000 deal, he turned it down because yet again he was denied the lead role of Rocky. He received many offers for the story and the offers kept rising until they reached an amazing $360,000...this offer was to pay him not to play the role of Rocky. But you guessed it; he turned it down yet again. Stallone was now living like a very difficult life, with terrible financial strain, yet day to day he kept his eye on his goal. He was determined to fulfil his dream. $360,000 in 1975 was worth a staggering $1.3 Million nowadays, this offer broke pricing records. However, when he turned it down he left the producers office screaming “I am Rocky”. The producers had wanted Robert Redford or Burt Reynolds among others to play the role of Rocky. They soon realised that Stallone was not going to sell out, he had his eye on the prize. HE was then offered  $35,000 and 2% of what ever profit the film made, and finally he was given the opportunity to play Rocky.

The Rocky film was a great success and turned Stallone into a superstar. He went on to play many successful leading roles and became a millionaire as well as starring in 5 other Rocky movies. Stallone's trademark slur continues to open doors for him and he still graces our screens over 30 years later. The ever popular theme tune "Eye of the Tiger"  from the award winning soundtrack went along with one of the plot's most memorable moments — Rocky's dramatic punching scenes at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The famous scene of Rocky running up the steps has become a cultural icon and in 1982, a statue of Rocky was erected. Can you imagine if he did not have goals and determination?

This is something that does not just apply to other people, we can all learn from this. With realistic goal setting and determination you too can achieve anything, you must be clear on what you want and be committed to working towards it.  What are your goals?  Career goals, financial goals, relationship goals, fitness goals or is there something else you desire? Once you are clear on your area of focus, you need to answer this question - How far away from each of these goals am I right now? For example, if you want to be the top sales person in your city, what level are you at the moment?. From this point you will have a picture of what you need to do and be able to implement strategies to do it.

If you are confused as to what areas you should focus your goals on, imagine that you are now at the end of your living years and you have the chance to look back on your life. Ask yourself would you be 100% happy with every area of your life? If not, this will help you see straight away the areas that need improving. Now you know where you are and what you want, you then need to start taking consistent action towards achieving your goals. From this, no matter how big or small, you can do one thing per day towards your goal. This means that by this time next year you will be 365 steps closer towards that dream. Once you have this mind set and you see yourself getting closer, you will find that one thing per day turns into two, three, four and soon ten things per day. Staying motivated and determined to achieve your goals is of paramount importance. Live your life in a way that aims towards your dreams and they will become your reality!

It often is hard to define and choose the right steps towards achieving goals and sometimes we all need direction on that journey, your own personal coach and cheerleader. Personal Development Coaching can assist you greatly. Take that step towards achieving your goals, you can do it!

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