Today, Wednesday 30th of July 2008, I got out for an early morning walk partly to avoid the heat.

As I walked down Berens Way, I noticed a strange sight. The dustbin men were running to the houses and back to their lorry pushing heavy bins.

I guessed they were trying to avoid working during the hotter part of the day but spoke to one of them anyway:

“Why are you all running?”

“It’s hot i’nit? We want to get it done!”

His words made sense. Today looks like it is going to be a scorcher. I can only pity the England and South African test teams who will start the third test match of the four match series at Edgbaston today.

England lost the second match that I discussed in the last post so South Africa are one up in the series with two matches to play.

As the dustbin man suggested drive and urgency gets things done and nothing is worth much until is actually done. Who wants to eat a half cooked sausage? Who wants to read an incomplete book?

Getting it done allows you to discover whether you have wasted your time or spent it well. Delay and taking a long time keeps you out of touch with reality.

Whatever you are doing, get it done and avoid the heat and the frustration that comes with slow progress. Brian Tracy has written somewhere that successful people have a sense of urgency about them. They like to move fast and get the job done!

However, urgency does not mean doing everything fast. It just means getting on with a task at a pace which will help you do the task well or reasonably well.

Some dustbin men (not necessarily my group) had left litter from a dustbin strewn all over the pavement at a house in Marlings Park Avenue this morning.

Their urgency had led them up the wrong path of more haste less speed. Be urgent but do the job properly or it will take much longer to get it done!

Today, Sunday July 20th 2008,is the third day of the second Test Match between England and South Africa at Headingley. The South Africans successfully frustrated the English bowlers in the first test and forced a draw at Lord’s.

England thought they had the upper hand in the first test but had a rude awakening when their bowlers struggled against the South African batsmen.

It is easy to take offence with the universe when things don’t go your way but the English players kept their cool, for the most part, and congratulated the South African batsmen for their sterling resistance and never say die spirit.

In the second test both the English batsmen and bowlers have failed to achieve the desired results so far. However, the English crowd and players are remaining philosophical and are keeping on supporting and trying hard to win. South African currently have the upper hand but who knows what may happen?

In fact, news has just come through that the top South African batsman, Prince, is now out.

My walk this morning was not especially eventful. I did see a cyclist hunched over his cycle looking as if he was having a heart attack. I nearly went over to ask him if he was alright when I realised he was probably just talking on his mobile.

A few minutes later he cycled past me saying ‘Good Morning!’

To learn how avoid frustration and achieve your goals check out
www.motivationtoday.com/36_laws.php

Yesterday, I mentioned my disappointment as the South African openers continued to score runs without getting bowled out.

Their ‘Great Escape’ continued throughout the day as each of the openers made a hundred runs.

Today, Monday July 14th 2008, is now the fifth day of the first cricket test match in 2008 between England and South Africa.

England dominated the first three days but South Africa fought back magnificently on the fourth day (yesterday).

Maybe the South Africans will survive today and force a draw. Maybe England will get an early wicket and force a win. Ian Botham, the great England all rounder, used the ‘maybe’ word in describing the situation this morning.

Win or draw, you can be sure that the just the possibility of a draw or a win will be enough to make both teams play their hearts out during the day.

If interested, you will be able to read about the result on the net tonight. Just google “England v South Africa Test Match.”

I met Tony on my walk this morning. He was off to study the computer in Orpington. He is a man who never stops learning even though he is older than me! He retains enthusiasm for
everything he does – a great example.

Today, Sunday July 13th 2008, I walked round the neighbourhood hoping that the South African Cricket team would lose one or two batsmen while I was out.

No such luck. The score was 71 for no wickets after I returned.
However, England are still in a very strong position in this first test match at Lord’s and should win.

I met J and Jo Jo when I was out in Berens Way. Jo Jo is an English Springer Spaniel. Springer Spaniels are hunting dogs which flush or ’spring’ birds from the ground so they can be hunted down by hawks and falcons or shot. They usually collect the birds that have been downed.

J mentioned how disappointing it is to be unable to walk as far or do as much as one could do when younger. I know exactly how she feels. One should, of course, be grateful for the ability to walk which so many people do not have.

Walking has many benefits. It helps rid the body of toxins and lactic acid. It gets the blood flowing and burns fat. If you walk early in the morning before eating, you can burn even more fat.

If we ever complain about the effort of walking we need to think about those who can’t walk.

In the Australian soap opera, ‘Neighbours’, a young man in a wheelchair talks to a teenage girl who is unable to walk after being hit by a car. She is feeling very sorry for herself and is not even attempting to help herself recover. He tells her:

“I know I will never get out of this wheel chair but you can get back to normal.”

“Maybe!”

“‘Maybe’ should be enough!”

‘Maybe’ is a magic word that is worth thinking about in connection with all our goals. ‘Maybe’ suggests the possibility of success. Just the possibility should be enough to motivate us to try with all our energy, enthusiasm and determination.

Maybe we will be able to walk again if we do the exercises designed to help us to rebuild our walking muscles. Maybe we will lose weight if we eat less sugar. Maybe we will become stronger if we do ten or more push ups every day.

Maybe we won’t be able to walk; maybe we won’t lose weight; maybe we will remain physically weak. However, if we really try hard there is a good chance that we will achieve our goals. The possibility of success should be enough.

Even if we fail in everything we try, we will, at the very least, become mentally strong. By carrying out our plans we will already have achieved the most important kind of success whatever the results.

In any event, ‘maybe’ or the possibility of success should be enough to make us try with all our heart to achieve our goals.

To learn more about how to achieve your goals check out
http://www.motivationtoday.com/36_laws.php