He Toots. He Scores! By Jim Hill

It’s been a great week. Spring has almost sprung (in the northern hemisphere), and the old, creative juices are flowing again. I’ve had great conversations with friends near and far and exciting things are coming. I can tell. And I can’t wait to tell you about it.

Which brings me to this week’s point – toot your horn! This week has been great because it started off with an email from a friend doing just that. His group had a performance over the weekend, and the Boston Globe singled him out for praise. Awesome! I sent him a pithy four-word reply, (the title of this week’s newsletter – I’m such a wit) which led to a nice, long phone call.

Now, I knew he had a performance over the weekend but due to logistical and geographical issues my wife and I couldn’t make it. We would’ve caught up eventually and discussed it but I wouldn’t have seen the review. But because he emailed it to us we were able to share in the joy and celebrate his success with him. And that, my friends, is awesome.

No, I’m not advocating egotistical PR updates for everyday activities (I flossed!), just those efforts that are special to us, and, therefore, our circle o’ friends. Why? Sharing works, and it works at home, at the office or in the gym. Pretty much anywhere really.

Here're my bare bones guide to “Sharing for Success” (Please use air quotes when you tell your friends)

1. Share a goal with your friends, peers or mentors
2. Check in with each other on a regular basis
3. Adapt your goal if your situation changes significantly
4. Celebrate with your group when you reach your goal

Sounds easy right? By sharing your goal, you make a public commitment to it. Your group helps you with your goal. You help them with theirs. Chocolate cake tastes great (well, that’s how I like to celebrate victory).

You don’t even have to be face-to-face to make this work. Email, phone calls, online achievement communities, Skype, SMS, etc., ad nauseum. We live in an age of near barrier-free communication. Our old excuses are getting harder to make because it’s easier than ever to find a group that shares your interests (and hopefully your love of success. And cake).

So this week I challenge you to share a goal. Spring has sprung. It’s time to get off your aspirations and mix it up.

I expect to hear a symphony of horn tooting from the lot of you.

Toot-toot, yeah, beep-beep.

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NOTE: I wrote this ten years ago for the Goals Gone Wild newsletter. It still applies today. While not directly about writing, but it's definitely about writing. Hope you like it. Go forth and be amazing.