ROCKET Goals

The Founding Fathers did not believe in the future.
They believed it into being.
- Robert Frost

Historian David McCullough has documented many great moments in American History, but one of his most powerful efforts is 1776, the detailed and gripping account of that pivotal year in Revolutionary History. As we live in the extraordinary aftermath of their efforts, it is hard - maybe impossible for us to appreciate the sheer audacity of the Colonial soldiers. At countless points during the year of 1776, the Revolutionary cause hung on the slimmest of threads. As Robert Frost points out, George Washington and the Founding Fathers did not believe in the future - they used the sheer power of their wills and imagination to bring United States into being, creating a lasting democratic republic practically out of thin air.

Think of imagination as the liquid fuel for launching your ROCKET Goals. The clearer and higher octane imagination you fill the tanks with, the faster you will reach your goals. Not only does the purity of your imagination matter, but the bigger your goal, the more imagination and willpower you will need! Just a point of reference, the SpaceX Starship uses a 1000 tons of liquid methane and and 3500 tons of liquid oxygen for each launch, and is supported by a team of 13,000 employees. It is literally the biggest ROCKET Goal ever attempted, and most likely will land humanity on Mars very soon.

If you are not achieving your own ROCKET Goals, there are two critical areas to examine - imagination and effort. Sometimes it takes effort and action to get imagination flowing, but with practice, you can learn to ignite your imagination with such clarity and energy that exponential concentrated effort burns like never before.

1). Take Imagination Seriously
Too often in our schooling and culture, imagination is relegated to the “creative types”. Don’t fall for this trap! Imagination is a core function of successful living - almost as necessary as breathing and eating.

2). What is Your Imagination Diet?
If you are constantly imagining your own stories of failure, and watching news and movies about catastrophe - it can hardly be surprising if that starts to become your reality. It is no different than eating chips and ice cream all day long and then being surprised you have troubling getting off the couch! Feed your imagination with the future self you most deeply wish to create.

3). Don’t Waiver
Your imagination will get tested over and over again. That is how it works. Sometimes you will need to change course or even retreat. But never waiver in your imagination. Washington’s army came perilously close to defeat at Brooklyn Heights in August of 1776, and only by a hasty nighttime retreat across the Hudson did they avert disaster. As the sun came up, a fog came across the river providing cover for the remaining troops. Washington was on the last boat leaving Brooklyn that morning, carrying his imagination with him.

4). Harness Your Engines of Imagination
Simply lighting your imagination on fire will cause an explosion, not a rocket launch. To gain maximum lift, you must channel your imagination through the concentrated nozzle of an engine - aka take specific actions and exponential effort towards your goal! Sometimes it can take weeks or even years to perfect the engines and skills needed for launch. No matter what happens, keep supplying each day with fresh imagination and use it fuel specific steps on your journey.

5). The Continuing Imagination
The shared imagination of a United States instead of 13 independent colonies took many years to take hold, even after the war itself had ended. Tired from years of battle, Washington had to come out of retirement and act as the first President, further believing the young nation into reality. Imagination is not one static moment in time but an ongoing renewable power source that requires constant attention and planning and effort. Starship 5 will follow Starship 4 and so on until we land on Mars, fueled by a river of imagination.

Conclusion
Don’t believe in the future, believe it in. Use your imagination to fuel your biggest rocket goals, feed your imagination with images of success, and don’t waiver in your vision. Most of all, keep fueling your ROCKET Goal with massive amounts of imagination until you have believed it into reality.