When we work with people who want to make change we always talk about how important it is to stay focused on their end goal, or as we call it, their HAPPY ENDING. We always encourage people to remember: just like when you are riding a bike, where you look, that’s where you’ll go. If you are riding down the road and you focus on the tree, you will run into the tree! Instead focus on the place you want the bike to go to have a nice bike ride. Where you focus your attention is where you will end up!
Vice President Joe Biden talked about this exact same issue when reflecting on the 2016 Election recently.
“If you live in neighborhoods like the one Jill and I grew up in, if you worry about your job and getting decent pay. …” His voice accelerated. “If you worry about your children’s education, if you’re taking care of an elderly parent, there’s only one person in this race who. …” He looked up at me and sighed. “I wish to hell I’d just kept saying the exact same thing.” *
Biden was afflicted with regret. He was sorry that, on the campaign trail, he had spoken so often about Donald Trump’s unfitness for office and not enough about what Hillary Clinton would do for the middle class.“
What Is YOUR HAPPY ENDING?
Your happy ending is a clear expression of how you will know when you have succeeded in achieving your goal. Writing your happy ending is sometimes the most difficult part of a campaign, and it is also one of the most important steps. Knowing where you want to go will provide a touchstone at difficult moments in the campaign, so you can decide the most strategic actions at those times.
Always ask: Does the action I want to take lead to my Happy Ending?
REMEMBER:
Where you look, that’s where you go. Where you focus your attention is where you will end up!
