与其做梦不如行动 最佳时机就是现在

Most potential entrepreneurs dream of breakthrough businesses all their lives and never get started. On the other hand, those who have listened to their intuition often wish they took the plunge earlier.

When surveyed, entrepreneurs say 29 is the ideal age to start a business. The average age that entrepreneurs actually start a business is 35. They wish they’d started earlier.

There’s no perfect age to start living your dreams. Being too young or too old is no excuse. The perfect time to start is right now.

These people did.

Nola Ochs – The Energizer Student

1972. Nola Ochs is widowed on her wheat farm in the town of Jetmore, Kansas (population 1000). She tends to her farm with the help of her children. In 1978, she realises she wants more from life. Age 68, she signs up for a tennis class at the nearest community college.

Years pass. Nola works full-time on her farm and occasionally drives into town to attend a class. After ten years studying everything from agribusiness to the Bible, she’s told that she is one class away from an associates degree. All she must do is complete college algebra.

With an associates degree she is pleased but not fulfilled. College algebra will not be the end of her scholarly career. Several years later she decides to make the two hour trek to Fort Hays State University. Enrolling at age 94, she lacks only 30 class hours to earn a bachelor’s degree. In May 2007, at 95, she becomes the world’s oldest college graduate.

Is it time to sit back and enjoy the framed diploma on the farmhouse wall? Not yet. She’s started a Masters Degree.

Cliff Burgess – The Marathon Man

1993. Cliff Burgess is 55. He’s tired of his potbelly and vows to start walking.

Cliff hits the pavement in his suburban Texas town. A walk around the block turns into twice around the block. Walking feels good, but he knows he can pick up some speed. The weight starts to come off as he signs up for 5km and 10km races. In less than a year, he enters in the San Antonio marathon thinking of it as a training run in preparation for his first marathon – 42km (26.2 miles). He feels good during the race, and he crosses the finish line faster than expected.

Averaging 15 marathons per year, he completes his 100th marathon six years later at the age of 62.

Reaching 100 marathons isn’t the final goal. His running gives him an excuse to travel the world to add to his marathon list. He finds himself in Finland, France, Romania, China, Argentina, Brazil, 25 other countries, and nearly all of the 50 states of the USA in a record 15 years.

At age 70, he’s at Marathon #226 and counting. One of his finest highlights is qualifying multiple times for the runner’s dream: a bib number in the Boston Marathon. In April 2009, he will travel to Boston, Massachusetts for the fourth time to take part yet again in all the running glory.

“Nothing happens unless first we dream.”
~ Carl Sandburg

Action summary

* There’s never a perfect age to live your dreams. The perfect age is right now.
* Make your goal known. Travel one step at a time.
* Keep your dream alive. Long-term goals exist because they take a long time.
* Success and determination are intimate siblings. Talent is merely success’s distant cousin.

最有潜力的企业家毕生都在梦想实现商业突破，绝对不搞从头再来。另一方面，这些凭直觉行事的企业家又常常自叹，自己真该早点冒险一搏。

调查显示，企业家认为29岁是创业的理想年龄，实际上，企业家创业的平均年龄是35岁 。他们却以为自己开始干的年岁比这更早。

要开始实现你的梦想，根本没有什么理想的年龄。年纪太轻、太老均不是理由，最佳时机就是立马开始。

这些企业家就是这样做的。

诺拉·奥克斯­­——较劲的学生

1972年，诺拉·奥克斯寡居在堪萨斯州杰特摩尔镇（人口1000 ）一个种植小麦的农场。她在子女的帮助下照管农场。 1978年，她意识到生活应该多彩多姿。 68岁时，她去邻近的社区学院报名参加了一个网球班。

几年过去，诺拉·奥克斯把全部时间用在农场上，偶尔开车去镇里听听课。10年来，从农业企业到圣经，她学了一样又一样，她说自己只差一门课程就大专毕业了。她要做的就是学完学院的代数课程。

取得大专学位，她很高兴，但不满足。拿下高校的代数，并不意味着她的学涯就此结束。几年后，她决定驱车两个小时去上富特海斯州立大学。她94岁入学时，还要读30个课时才能获得学士学位。到2007年5月95岁时 ，她成了世界上最老迈的大学毕业生。

该她坐下来欣赏农舍墙上嵌在相框里的一纸文凭了吧？还是不行。她又开始了攻取硕士学位的学习。

克里夫伯吉斯——参赛马拉松的老汉

1993年，克里夫·伯吉斯55岁 。他对自己的啤酒肚厌烦起来，立誓开始散步。

克里夫看上了得州小镇郊外他家外的柏油路，由在街区里行走一圈变成走两圈。散步的感觉很好，但他知道自己还能加速再走快点。体重开始减了，他报名参加了5公里和10公里的比赛。不到一年，他进了圣·安东尼奥马拉松队，心想把这种跑步当作首次马拉松比赛——42公里（ 26.2英里）的训练。在比赛中，他感觉良好，冲过终点的速度比他预想的还快。

他平均每年参加15场马拉松比赛，一跑就是6年，62岁那年，跑完了第100场马拉松赛。

跑完100场马拉松比赛并非最终目标。一连串的长跑使他有了理由，把跑遍世界列入自己的马拉松比赛计划里去。结果发现15年来他在芬兰、法国、罗马尼亚、中国、阿根廷、巴西等25个国家，以及美国几乎50个州里，都有参赛纪录。

70岁时，他参加了总计第226场马拉松比赛。他最为光彩的一样东西就是多次取得赛跑者梦寐以求的参赛资格：拿到波士顿马拉松赛的参赛选手编号。2009年4月，他将第四次前往马萨诸塞州的波士顿再次参赛，一展历次长跑的辉煌。

“除非我们梦想在先，否则一事无成。 ”——卡尔·桑德伯格

行动总结

●绝没有什么实现梦想的理想年龄。起步的最佳年龄就是眼下。

●亮出你的目标。千里之行一步步来。

●持续您的梦想。确定长期目标，因为实现它们需要很长时间。

●成功和决心是亲兄弟亲姐妹。天资仅是成功的远房亲戚。