GMAT考试写作指导：Issue写作范文五二

　　52. I agree generally that setting new goals in small increments above past

　　accomplishments is a reliable path to achieving those goals. I think anyone would be

　　hard-pressed to find fault with this advice. Nevertheless, in some exceptional instances,

　　a more dramatic leap-frog approach may be more appropriate, or even necessary, to

　　achieve a significant goal.

　　The virtues of setting goals in small, easily-attainable increments are undeniable.

　　Overwhelming challenges are reduced to readily attainable tasks. A psychological boost

　　is afforded by each intermediate success, helping to ensure that the achiever wont

　　become discouraged and give up. Each step in this process can raise ones level of

　　aspiration, and in manageable proportions that make success more likely. Moreover, this

　　approach can be used by anyone―a sedentary office worker who decides to complete

　　the New York Marathon; a paralegal who wishes to become a surgeon; or a small

　　business owner who aspires to become CEO of a Fortune 500 Company.

　　In some instances, however, the step-by-step approach is not adequate. For

　　example, many great creative achievements―in art, music, and literature―are made not

　　by the achievers disciplined setting of incremental goals, but rather by a spontaneous

　　flash of brilliance and intense creativity. Another exception to this approach is the case

　　of the ultra-successful actor, model, or even socialite who might suddenly leap-frog to

　　his or her goal through serendipity. Third, for those who have already achieved great

　　things, taking baby steps toward the next goal would only frustrate them and slow them

　　down. Suppose, for example, a recent gold medalist in the Olympic Games 100-meter

　　sprint wishes to become a member the football franchise that won last years Super

　　Bowl. What small, incremental accomplishments are needed to achieve his goal? None,

　　aside from a phone call by his agent to the front office of the team. Admittedly, these are

　　exceptional cases: yet they do exist.

　　In conclusion, setting modest but increasingly higher goals is generally good

　　advice. Yet this approach may be inappropriate or inadequate under certain exceptional