As a result of my books, speaking engagements, and these columns, I hear from a great number of people who are attempting to take charge of their lives.

It has come to my attention that there is a huge gulf between long-range planning and short-term activity. Many people have been to seminars, read books, etc. which have taught them to set their life goals. I would be the first to say this is an extremely valuable pursuit; however, if your short-term or immediate activity does not match up with your long-term goals, you have a huge problem.

Too often, our long-term goals are compartmentalized in our minds into another area that we don’t deal with on a daily basis. It’s like our Christmas card list: We drag it out once a year, make any changes necessary, send out our cards, and mentally—as well as physically—put the list away for another year.

In a perfect world, someone should be able to follow you throughout your daily activities and, simply by observing the tasks that you perform, determine what your life priorities are. Granted, we all have to walk the dog and change the oil, but at some point in each day, you should be pursuing your life goals.

Recently, I heard from a gentleman who was in one of my audiences in a speaking engagement almost three years ago. He reminded me that after my presentation he got a book and, as I was autographing it for him, he told me that he wanted to move from Canada to California and pursue academic research as his life’s work. When this gentleman called me three years later, I happened to remember that brief conversation that he and I had three years previous in the back of an arena.

Unfortunately, three years have come and gone, and he is no closer to his goal than he was before. This is very dangerous, because it reinforces the fact that his life goals are somewhere out in the future and don’t have to be dealt with today.

If you have a life’s goal or what you consider to be your destiny, you should be taking some action on it every day. There is always something to learn, someone to meet, or some preparation you can take toward that end. Dedicate yourself to making each day an investment in your future.

Today’s the day!

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network, as well as a published author, columnist, and motivational speaker. He may be reached at 5840 South Memorial Drive, Suite 312, Tulsa, OK 74145-9082, or by e-mail at JimStovall@aol.com.