Michael Jordan is one of the best basketball players of all time. Like all athletes, he had dreams. He achieved them by setting goals—both short-term and long-term. In his autobiography, I Can’t Accept Not Trying: Michael Jordan on the Pursuit of Excellence, he speaks about short-term goal setting. Read the excerpt to see how he set these goals and what he did when he achieved them. I approach everything step by step ... I had always set short-term goals. As I look back, each one of the steps or successes led to the next one. When I got cut from the varsity team as a sophomore in high school, I learned something. I knew I never wanted to feel that bad again ... So I set a goal of becoming a starter on the varsity. That’s what I focused on all summer. When I worked on my game, that’s what I thought about. When it happened, I set another goal, a reasonable, manageable goal that I could realistically achieve if I worked hard enough ... I guess I approached it with the end in mind. I knew exactly where I wanted to go, and I focused on getting there. As I reached those goals, they built on one another. I gained a little confidence every time I came through.

What lessons in Jordan’s description apply to anyone who is trying to achieve a goal? Identify two examples and examine why they’re relevant to any goal.