- Start the day ahead - Start the day with some little tasks that help move you in the direction you want to go. For instance, if you're trying to get in better shape or be more healthy, start the day with drinking several glasses of water and doing even a part of your work out; maybe a couple sets of pushups and crunches and some stretching. While the tasks themselves may be small, they set the tone for the day, and you feel a sense of accomplishment and a small weight off your shoulders that you are headed in the right direction and ahead of your daily goal. It's easier to finish if you're starting out ahead.
- Measure against yourself - Make sure you're measuring your progress and results with what you are aiming for, not with a definition that someone else has imposed on you. If your goals are not truly yours, you will not have sustainable motivation to persist when it gets tough.
- Stay focused - After you've confirmed the goals you've set are actually yours (or redefined them so that they are), stay focused on the main thing. It's really easy to get distracted with everything around us, the demands of life and the little things that "need" to get done that stack up and suck our time. Those things need attention, but you need to prioritize the things that will help you reach your top goals.
- Dumb it down - Don't over-complicate it. Make what you're trying to achieve for the year simple and explainable. Make a list of your top 5 "must happen" goals for this year, and everything else should build off of that. Yes, there will likely be additional goals, or sub-goals that go along with these, but the top 5 create your focus points for the year. Also, if you can't define each of your top 5 with a single word or a short descriptive phrase, it's too complex. Break it down more for true clarity.
- Start again - If you've really dropped off from where you wanted to be, remember that the beginning of the year is just another day. You can always start new and fresh again. Don't beat yourself up too much, start again, and move towards your goals. Don't wait until another year passes to have a "new beginning" of a new year.
Showing posts with label Persistence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Persistence. Show all posts
Keeping Your 2018 Goals Alive
We're two weeks into the New Year, and unfortunately that means we're also to the point where most people have already given up on their goals and resolutions they swore they'd keep "this time". Hopefully this is not you, but if you're already finding yourself struggling to keep motivated and stay on top of the things you want to see change, here are some tips to help keep you going.
Give Up or Press On?
Let's start out with an obvious "given" in life...it's not always going to be easy. Even more so, if you should choose the route of an entrepreneur, you're asking for the odds of hard times and difficult situations to multiply. You're going to run into circumstances where you need to choose - should I just give up, or should I lean in and press on? These are the situations where you make a choice of who you really are and what you really want. How high does the hurdle have to be before you give up?
So many people give up so easily at the slightest push back. Here's what they either don't understand, or aren't willing to pay the price for - Anything worth doing is going to come with hurdles to overcome! It's as predictable as the ocean tides. It's going to happen, so bank on it and prepare for it. What's worse is that often times when people give up, they are just around the corner from a breakthrough or from exponential growth in their business. They may not see it, but it's there for them to grasp; they just need to push past to the other side.
If one issue is going to cause you to want to quite, you have to ask yourself two questions. First, if you're going to give up that easily, were you even committed to what you were trying to accomplish in the first place? Second, you need to ask yourself what your motivation is in trying to accomplish what you're pushing towards. If it's a shallow reason, such as just for money, recognition, etc., then that kind of motivation will only last so long and will only motivate you through a certain level of difficulty. You need to be motivated by a deeper sense of why than that. If you're motivated by a burning desire, passion and sense of purpose, it will drive you to push through those challenges when they come. Not only that, you will even look forward to them because you know that not only will you be able to get through them, you know that both you and your business will end up stronger for having gone through it.
Now for a bit of perspective. Life was not meant to be lived without challenge or difficulty. We're meant to be out in the arena of life, swinging the sword on the battlefield. Living life sitting safely in the stands watching everyone else live an extraordinary life is not truly living. You are meant to live an extraordinary life! Sure, you may save yourself from some tough situations if you choose to live "safely", but at what expense? At the expense of personal growth. At the expense of not challenging yourself to do the best you possibly can, to contribute your verse, and to see what you're made of and what you can accomplish. At the risk, worst of all, of regret; looking back and wondering, with only your imagination to help you experience it, "what if"...what could have been if you'd just gotten out of your own way and pushed forward. Leap over those hurdles and push through the walls. Let your passion and your purpose drive you and achieve the dreams you were meant to live out.
So many people give up so easily at the slightest push back. Here's what they either don't understand, or aren't willing to pay the price for - Anything worth doing is going to come with hurdles to overcome! It's as predictable as the ocean tides. It's going to happen, so bank on it and prepare for it. What's worse is that often times when people give up, they are just around the corner from a breakthrough or from exponential growth in their business. They may not see it, but it's there for them to grasp; they just need to push past to the other side.
If one issue is going to cause you to want to quite, you have to ask yourself two questions. First, if you're going to give up that easily, were you even committed to what you were trying to accomplish in the first place? Second, you need to ask yourself what your motivation is in trying to accomplish what you're pushing towards. If it's a shallow reason, such as just for money, recognition, etc., then that kind of motivation will only last so long and will only motivate you through a certain level of difficulty. You need to be motivated by a deeper sense of why than that. If you're motivated by a burning desire, passion and sense of purpose, it will drive you to push through those challenges when they come. Not only that, you will even look forward to them because you know that not only will you be able to get through them, you know that both you and your business will end up stronger for having gone through it.
Now for a bit of perspective. Life was not meant to be lived without challenge or difficulty. We're meant to be out in the arena of life, swinging the sword on the battlefield. Living life sitting safely in the stands watching everyone else live an extraordinary life is not truly living. You are meant to live an extraordinary life! Sure, you may save yourself from some tough situations if you choose to live "safely", but at what expense? At the expense of personal growth. At the expense of not challenging yourself to do the best you possibly can, to contribute your verse, and to see what you're made of and what you can accomplish. At the risk, worst of all, of regret; looking back and wondering, with only your imagination to help you experience it, "what if"...what could have been if you'd just gotten out of your own way and pushed forward. Leap over those hurdles and push through the walls. Let your passion and your purpose drive you and achieve the dreams you were meant to live out.
Nothing in this world
can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more
common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded
genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of
educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
Calvin Coolidge
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/calvincool414555.html
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/calvincool414555.html
Nothing in this world
can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more
common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded
genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of
educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
Calvin Coolidge
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/calvincool414555.html
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/calvincool414555.html
Be a Rubber Ball - Bouncing Back After Setbacks
Setbacks and disappointments are guaranteed to happen. It's a part of life, especially if you're pushing yourself and striving for bigger accomplishments. It's inevitable. But it's not the fact that they happen that's important, it's what you do when those situations arise that matters. You can let it stop you in your tracks, or you can be like a rubber ball and bounce back. You need to have some "give", some flexibility, in order to be able to bounce back. Just like the rubber ball gives in when it hits the concrete and prepares itself for the launch back up. And that's exactly what can happen with the right mindset and proper redirection after a setback; you can launch yourself to even greater heights. Here are a few thoughts on bouncing back:
- Get the Lesson - What did you learn from the setback or disappointment? Debrief what went wrong, why and what you can do to avoid a similar mistake in the future. Don't dwell on it. Look back, analyze, adjust and move on.
- Seek Advise - Talk to people in your field or just other people you trust and who's opinion you respect. Ask them for their take on what happened and listen to their words of wisdom.
- Know You're Not Alone - Everyone faces setback. Sometimes just knowing you're not the only one going through it can help you push forward.
- Set Up a Game Plan - Come up with a plan of how you're going to move forward from here. Don't let the setback stop your movement. Come up with a plan to keep going and implement it right away.
Facing Setbacks
We've all been there before. Things are looking up, you're making progress and gaining some ground towards your goals, and out of nowhere something changes. Your momentum and the ground you've gained is threatened by an event, a change in circumstances; perhaps something that is even completely outside of your control. Now you've got a choice to make: are you going to let this setback get the best of you, or are you going to get the best of it?
It's a simple decision really. Too many people in our society play the victim. You know what? Even if you are right, and you are the one who got the raw end of the deal, playing the victim and placing blame isn't going to make the situation any better. By doing that, all you do is give the negative side a bigger victory. The best thing you can do is stay positive, learn from whatever the experience is, and move on. Use the setback to fuel you.
Whatever setbacks you may be facing, remember that they temporary and that you can and will get past it, and be better for it. Failure and defeat only get the best of us if we let them. Life is about the experience, and if you're out there living, things are going to happen. You're going to get bumps and bruises along the way. It's these bumps, these challenges, that force us to grow; to become better. A life well lived is a life with both victories and defeats. But where there is defeat there is opportunity. At the very least we can take the experience and what we've learned from it and use it in the future, to make ourselves a better person, a better business owner and a better member of the community.
-BJN
"Opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat." Napoleon Hill
It's a simple decision really. Too many people in our society play the victim. You know what? Even if you are right, and you are the one who got the raw end of the deal, playing the victim and placing blame isn't going to make the situation any better. By doing that, all you do is give the negative side a bigger victory. The best thing you can do is stay positive, learn from whatever the experience is, and move on. Use the setback to fuel you.
Whatever setbacks you may be facing, remember that they temporary and that you can and will get past it, and be better for it. Failure and defeat only get the best of us if we let them. Life is about the experience, and if you're out there living, things are going to happen. You're going to get bumps and bruises along the way. It's these bumps, these challenges, that force us to grow; to become better. A life well lived is a life with both victories and defeats. But where there is defeat there is opportunity. At the very least we can take the experience and what we've learned from it and use it in the future, to make ourselves a better person, a better business owner and a better member of the community.
-BJN
"Opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat." Napoleon Hill
The Power of Belief
We all know the classic story The Little Engine That Could from our childhood. The story has so many philosophical principals in it it's incredible; from persistence, to focus and drive, to the power of positive thinking. The principal I want to hit on right now is belief.
Belief is a huge factor in whether you have success in your goals or not. You must believe or there is no way you will put in your full effort. If in the back of your mind you are thinking "this will never work", you are going to struggle. After all, why would you work so hard on something when you "know" it will never work out anyway? Here are the key areas of belief you must have:
Belief is a huge factor in whether you have success in your goals or not. You must believe or there is no way you will put in your full effort. If in the back of your mind you are thinking "this will never work", you are going to struggle. After all, why would you work so hard on something when you "know" it will never work out anyway? Here are the key areas of belief you must have:
- Belief in yourself - You must believe in yourself if you have any hope in succeeding and reaching your goals. If you do not believe in yourself, that you can and will actually accomplish what you are set out to do, then you will never come close to what you are capable of. Without full belief in yourself you will constantly be in a struggle to take the steps that are necessary to climb to the top of your mountain because you will always be thinking that the effort is in vain because you don't actually think you will get to the top. This belief is the cornerstone to all of the others. If you don't believe in yourself it doesn't matter how great your belief is in the other areas, because you will simply never put in the full effort.
- Belief in possibility - Similar to belief in yourself, you have to believe in the possibilities out there, and that there is a ton of opportunity if you just go out and get it. If you don't believe there are possibilities, then again you will not put forth the effort.
- Belief in abundance - You also have to believe that there is abundant opportunity; that there is plenty to go around. If you don't, instead of seeking help and advise, you will try to go it alone and hoard information and opportunity. Success is a collaborative experience, and takes the efforts of many. Sure there are many "self-made" millionaires, but ask any of them and they will tell you they had a great team around them to get them to where they are. Without the belief that there is abundance and plenty to go around, you can't work together with others in an effective manner to get higher results.
- Belief in your "why" - You have to belief that your "why", your reason for achievement, is a worthy goal. Money alone will not fuel a belief enough to keep you going. Instead, think deeper about why you have the goals you have. Who do you want to impact? What kind of legacy to you want to leave? If money is a goal, don't think just about the money, but what will the money mean to you? What will it help you accomplish as far as helping others? What will the money get you -and I don't mean material possessions; that's the same line of thinking as just the money itself - does it get you more time with your family? Does it help you be in a position to start the business you've always wanted to start? Does it give you freedom? Know what you are chasing, but you must also know why you are chasing it.
- Belief in your system - There are many ways to build wealth, especially with all of the modern conveniences and the way technology has changed how we do things and the opportunities it has created. But you need a system in place to be successful. Success isn't an accident. Success requires thought, planning and strategic action steps. You have to set up your system, whatever it is, and you have to believe it will work. This doesn't mean you can't tweak it along the way, but it does mean that you have to have faith that you are headed in the right direction, and that with adjustments along the way, it will work. Whether the system is one that was taught to you by a mentor, or something you've come up with from your own research, you have to believe that the efforts will pay off.
- Belief in others - Ok, I admit, this one can be hard because let's face it, people let us down. But you have to believe in others and believe they can help you or you will be trying to do everything on your own, and if you are doing that you are severely limiting your ceiling of success. You simply can't know or do it all, so you have to trust others to help you. This includes advisers, business partners, mentors and the like. Believe that there are people out there that do want to help you and see you become successful. Seek those people out, bring something to the table, and have faith you can help each other in your endeavors.
Action Creates Momentum
Have you ever had a time that you knew you should do something that you didn't want to do? Something that was hard, or even a little bit scary or outside of your comfort zone? What did you do? Did you break past those feelings and do it anyway? Or did you let the fear or other feelings get in your way and stop you?
We all have times when we have things we know we should do that we don't feel like doing for one reason or another. When those situations come up, you need to press on, stop thinking so much and just do it. When you push past those feelings and make yourself do it, you often get a great sense of satisfaction from following through on what you know you should be doing. You know you are taking steps towards your worthy goals. On the other hand, if you don't do it, you often feel worse than you did when you were worrying about doing it in the first place, because you know you aren't following through on what you need to do. The result can be a pattern that will either inspire and push you forward, or one that will be full of regret and hold you back. Make the conscious choice to step outside of your comfort zone and break through whatever else may be holding you back.
A lot of times when we are stuck in a place like this we get into the "I'll do it tomorrow" mindset. Well, I've got some news for you: tomorrow never comes! If you are making those excuses today, something is sure to come up tomorrow that will stop you as well. Don't put it off! Do it today, and you will build momentum for tomorrow.
I first met my real estate mentor Greg Pinneo at a real estate investment group meeting that I did not want to go to. It had been a long and rough day, and I wanted to get home to see my family. However, I knew my goal was to become more active in real estate investing, and that I needed to keep going to meetings to learn and network if I wanted that to happen. I had no idea that a special guest was coming or anything like that, but needless to say I'm so glad I went that evening, because it was the beginning of a whole new perspective and education that has made and will continue to make a huge difference in my life.
I'm also reminded of a story about Donald Trump, who, when he was at the lowest of lows and massively in debt, had a dinner party he was supposed to attend. He didn't want to go; He certainly didn't feel like going. But because he went he had a conversation with one of his bankers at the dinner, and that conversation was the beginning of his recovery. What would have happened if he did what he felt like doing instead of what he knew he should do? The entire Trump story could have ended right there, instead of being the huge success that he is.
So don't let your excuses or your fear stop you from taking steps forward. Take the steps and let the feelings of accomplishment and the small steps forward build momentum toward achieving your goals. Nothing can stop you except yourself.
We all have times when we have things we know we should do that we don't feel like doing for one reason or another. When those situations come up, you need to press on, stop thinking so much and just do it. When you push past those feelings and make yourself do it, you often get a great sense of satisfaction from following through on what you know you should be doing. You know you are taking steps towards your worthy goals. On the other hand, if you don't do it, you often feel worse than you did when you were worrying about doing it in the first place, because you know you aren't following through on what you need to do. The result can be a pattern that will either inspire and push you forward, or one that will be full of regret and hold you back. Make the conscious choice to step outside of your comfort zone and break through whatever else may be holding you back.
A lot of times when we are stuck in a place like this we get into the "I'll do it tomorrow" mindset. Well, I've got some news for you: tomorrow never comes! If you are making those excuses today, something is sure to come up tomorrow that will stop you as well. Don't put it off! Do it today, and you will build momentum for tomorrow.
I first met my real estate mentor Greg Pinneo at a real estate investment group meeting that I did not want to go to. It had been a long and rough day, and I wanted to get home to see my family. However, I knew my goal was to become more active in real estate investing, and that I needed to keep going to meetings to learn and network if I wanted that to happen. I had no idea that a special guest was coming or anything like that, but needless to say I'm so glad I went that evening, because it was the beginning of a whole new perspective and education that has made and will continue to make a huge difference in my life.
I'm also reminded of a story about Donald Trump, who, when he was at the lowest of lows and massively in debt, had a dinner party he was supposed to attend. He didn't want to go; He certainly didn't feel like going. But because he went he had a conversation with one of his bankers at the dinner, and that conversation was the beginning of his recovery. What would have happened if he did what he felt like doing instead of what he knew he should do? The entire Trump story could have ended right there, instead of being the huge success that he is.
So don't let your excuses or your fear stop you from taking steps forward. Take the steps and let the feelings of accomplishment and the small steps forward build momentum toward achieving your goals. Nothing can stop you except yourself.
Peaks and Valleys
Peaks and Valleys. Life is full of them. One minute we can feel on top of the world, and the next we feel like everything is falling apart. So how do we deal with this without letting our lows bring is down too low, to the point of inaction? Or without letting the highs get us to high, to the point of complacency?
It is important to understand that we can't let our highs be too high, and we can't let our lows be too low. With either extreme, we need to stay grounded in reality. Celebrate your victories and get excited about your accomplishments, but remember to keep your feet on the ground and keep yourself in check, or it may not be long until you tumble back down again. Remember what it took to get there, and keep on going. Don't think you can coast once you are at the top of your game. Your are either getting better or getting worse, you cannot stay the same. So make sure you are always improving yourself!
At the same time, you can't let your lows get you too low. Know what the reality is, as grim as it may be, and then take the necessary steps to make it better. Don't mope. That doesn't help anybody, and it certainly wont get you out of your situation. Figure out why you are where you are, where you want to be instead, and put together a game plan to get from A to B. Then do it!
It is also important to realize that everyone has their ups and downs; even those who are extremely successful. Just look at the likes of Donald Trump, one of the most successful and well-known Entrepreneurs. At one point he was millions upon millions of dollars in debt and facing personal bankruptcy. But he fought out of it. He had doubts. He was down. But he kept going, he did things he didn't feel like doing, and he eventually dug himself out, dusted himself off, and became the ultra-successful businessman he is today.
So whether you are currently in peak or a valley, remember it is all a journey. You will experience ups and downs. The valley will turn into a peak, and a peak into another valley. But keep your attitude and your actions in check in all these circumstances. No matter what life throws at you, you can make it through to the other side.
It is important to understand that we can't let our highs be too high, and we can't let our lows be too low. With either extreme, we need to stay grounded in reality. Celebrate your victories and get excited about your accomplishments, but remember to keep your feet on the ground and keep yourself in check, or it may not be long until you tumble back down again. Remember what it took to get there, and keep on going. Don't think you can coast once you are at the top of your game. Your are either getting better or getting worse, you cannot stay the same. So make sure you are always improving yourself!
At the same time, you can't let your lows get you too low. Know what the reality is, as grim as it may be, and then take the necessary steps to make it better. Don't mope. That doesn't help anybody, and it certainly wont get you out of your situation. Figure out why you are where you are, where you want to be instead, and put together a game plan to get from A to B. Then do it!
It is also important to realize that everyone has their ups and downs; even those who are extremely successful. Just look at the likes of Donald Trump, one of the most successful and well-known Entrepreneurs. At one point he was millions upon millions of dollars in debt and facing personal bankruptcy. But he fought out of it. He had doubts. He was down. But he kept going, he did things he didn't feel like doing, and he eventually dug himself out, dusted himself off, and became the ultra-successful businessman he is today.
So whether you are currently in peak or a valley, remember it is all a journey. You will experience ups and downs. The valley will turn into a peak, and a peak into another valley. But keep your attitude and your actions in check in all these circumstances. No matter what life throws at you, you can make it through to the other side.
Putting Your Action Where Your Mouth Is
You've heard the term "put your money where your mouth is", meaning back up what you say and don't just give out advice that you don't follow yourself, or spew an opinion that you can't or won't stand behind. However, I think there is a key word that needs to be replace in this phrase - money doesn't back up what you say; action does. Let me explain.
With all the training and endeavors I've been a part of up to this point in my life, I've seen plenty of people so called "put their money where their mouth is" by paying huge amounts of money to start a business or to go through educational courses to learn how to make money in various industries. The problem is, they think that paying the money for the education is what will solve their issues and will make them successful. This could not be further from the truth. You could pay a million dollars for education from the best educators and most prominent leaders in whatever industry you'd like to be successful in, but paying the money doesn't do anything for you. It's not paying for the training that gets you anywhere, it's the action that follows it.
So many people think that somehow paying money form something will be what gets them the results, or that it will be easy once they get into whatever program they are starting. Sorry to burst your bubble, but there is no educational program or business system in the world that you pay and then just sit back and watch the money roll in. Success is not easy! It is hard work and takes a dedication to learning whatever endeavor you choose. Success is a process. It will not happen overnight and will not happen without you putting in the effort (and if anyone tells you that it will, RUN FAST). If you want success, if you want to reach your goals, you are going to have to make it happen, and that means taking action, not just paying for a "magic formula". I makes me sad to see so many people thinking they can buy their way into prosperity.
Now I'm not trying to be negative, I'm just trying to be realistic. If you are going to back something up with your money, you have to be prepared to back it up with action. In reality, the action part is what really matters, and is the only part that will get you anywhere. Without action, you are stagnant, and you will always be where you are right now. To progress, to move towards your goals and dreams, you have to take action. Go out there and put your money where your mouth is, but make sure you are also putting your action where your mouth is. Without that final component, your money will just be wasted.
With all the training and endeavors I've been a part of up to this point in my life, I've seen plenty of people so called "put their money where their mouth is" by paying huge amounts of money to start a business or to go through educational courses to learn how to make money in various industries. The problem is, they think that paying the money for the education is what will solve their issues and will make them successful. This could not be further from the truth. You could pay a million dollars for education from the best educators and most prominent leaders in whatever industry you'd like to be successful in, but paying the money doesn't do anything for you. It's not paying for the training that gets you anywhere, it's the action that follows it.
So many people think that somehow paying money form something will be what gets them the results, or that it will be easy once they get into whatever program they are starting. Sorry to burst your bubble, but there is no educational program or business system in the world that you pay and then just sit back and watch the money roll in. Success is not easy! It is hard work and takes a dedication to learning whatever endeavor you choose. Success is a process. It will not happen overnight and will not happen without you putting in the effort (and if anyone tells you that it will, RUN FAST). If you want success, if you want to reach your goals, you are going to have to make it happen, and that means taking action, not just paying for a "magic formula". I makes me sad to see so many people thinking they can buy their way into prosperity.
Now I'm not trying to be negative, I'm just trying to be realistic. If you are going to back something up with your money, you have to be prepared to back it up with action. In reality, the action part is what really matters, and is the only part that will get you anywhere. Without action, you are stagnant, and you will always be where you are right now. To progress, to move towards your goals and dreams, you have to take action. Go out there and put your money where your mouth is, but make sure you are also putting your action where your mouth is. Without that final component, your money will just be wasted.
Trying and Failing is Better Than Not Trying at All
One of the major things that stops most people from ever moving forward on their goals and closer to their dreams is fear. One of the biggest fears is the fear of failure, of not knowing if you can actually accomplish the dreams you set out to achieve. We are afraid of what people will say or think if we don't achieve what we set out to do.
Theodore Roosevelt put it amazingly well:
"It's not the critic who counts; Not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit goes to the one who is actually in the arena; Who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short again and again; Who knows the great devotions, the great enthusiasms, and spends himself in a worthy cause. Who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and, at the worst, if he fails at least he fails while daring greatly; so that his place will never be among those timid and cold souls who know neither victory or defeat."
Have you faced defeat in your endeavors? If not, I would contend that you are not putting yourself out there nearly enough. Ask any successful person if they experienced defeat or setbacks along their road to success and you will get a 100% "yes" response". In fact, most successful people have experienced far more defeat than those who are not successful. Most get knocked down once or twice and give up. Successful people get knocked down over and over and over, but they keep bouncing back up and keep moving forward.
In the end, what is worse? Failing, or not trying at all? Which is going to leave you with regret? Which is going to have you wishing you would have tried harder or kept going instead of giving up? Which is going to get you to where you want to go? If you never try, or try and give up quickly, you will have regret down the road. Now I'm not saying there is never a time to let something go so you can move on to something else, but we do it far too often, and bounce from one thing to the next in search of something that will get us to our desired result. But most of the time it is not the "vehicle" that is the issue, it is the "driver" (you). Pick your vehicle that you want to use to get where you are going, and stick to it and make it happen. Don't quit. Most importantly, make sure you are at least out there trying. If you fail while trying, you can deal with it. Get up and get going and try again.
Failure is our best teacher. It won't kill you, it will only make you stronger. Even if you fail, at least you know you gave it your all (you did, right?) and you don't have to face the regret of not having tried at all. Even if it doesn't work out as you planned, it is better than looking back and not knowing what you could have done or been but will never know because you didn't try. So get out there and start failing! When you move past your failures, success is waiting for you on the other side.
Theodore Roosevelt put it amazingly well:
"It's not the critic who counts; Not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit goes to the one who is actually in the arena; Who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short again and again; Who knows the great devotions, the great enthusiasms, and spends himself in a worthy cause. Who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and, at the worst, if he fails at least he fails while daring greatly; so that his place will never be among those timid and cold souls who know neither victory or defeat."
Have you faced defeat in your endeavors? If not, I would contend that you are not putting yourself out there nearly enough. Ask any successful person if they experienced defeat or setbacks along their road to success and you will get a 100% "yes" response". In fact, most successful people have experienced far more defeat than those who are not successful. Most get knocked down once or twice and give up. Successful people get knocked down over and over and over, but they keep bouncing back up and keep moving forward.
In the end, what is worse? Failing, or not trying at all? Which is going to leave you with regret? Which is going to have you wishing you would have tried harder or kept going instead of giving up? Which is going to get you to where you want to go? If you never try, or try and give up quickly, you will have regret down the road. Now I'm not saying there is never a time to let something go so you can move on to something else, but we do it far too often, and bounce from one thing to the next in search of something that will get us to our desired result. But most of the time it is not the "vehicle" that is the issue, it is the "driver" (you). Pick your vehicle that you want to use to get where you are going, and stick to it and make it happen. Don't quit. Most importantly, make sure you are at least out there trying. If you fail while trying, you can deal with it. Get up and get going and try again.
Failure is our best teacher. It won't kill you, it will only make you stronger. Even if you fail, at least you know you gave it your all (you did, right?) and you don't have to face the regret of not having tried at all. Even if it doesn't work out as you planned, it is better than looking back and not knowing what you could have done or been but will never know because you didn't try. So get out there and start failing! When you move past your failures, success is waiting for you on the other side.
“If you want to succeed, double your failure rate.”
Thomas J. Watson
Founder, chairman & president of IBM.
Thomas J. Watson
Founder, chairman & president of IBM.
When the Going Gets Tough...Just Keep Going
There is no denying that along the path to success there are many obstacles, and there will be tough times along the way. If anyone ever gives you a "secret" to success that they say involves no pitfalls and no struggle or work, they are either lying to you or they have never actually tried it for themselves. There is one principle you must be aware of if you are to get past these hard times, and that is "stickability". This is the ability to "stick to it" and keep going no matter what.
I love this speech by Charles "Tremendous" Jones:
"Stickability is Tremendous"
"Stick by it, die by it, never give up. We need to burn the word "stickability" into our hearts. There is a plague sweeping the world, it is now reaching epidemic proportions. It's better known as the Quitters Disease. Everywhere I go I hear the phrase, in many different tones I QUIT - I QUIT - I QUIT. I expect to be greeted by some overwhelming, happy associate each time I return to the office with a great big -I QUIT. The problem with most people is that they don't realize what the problem is. I remember how I always wanted to quit. In fact, that's why I worked so hard to become successful so that I wouldn't have to go through that agonizing wanting to quit all the time. Then, finally, I became a success, and to my surprise, I wanted to quit anyway. I then learned that the human being hits psychological lows two or three times a year, and wants to quit for no reason at all. Of course, the real problem was in wanting to quit, because the more I would want to quit, the more I would want to quit, and the more I would want to quit, the more I was afraid I was going to quit, and I didn't want to quit, I just wanted to want to quit. Finally, one day I discovered the difference between quitting and wanting to quit. I then decided I would never quit, and now I enjoy quitting all the time, because I know I'm not going to QUIT. Sometimes someone will ask, "You mean you can't ever quit?" That's right, you can die, retire or get fired, but that's it. Of course, there are exceptions and you are going to think you're it every time you want to quit and if you sell out that easily, you'll never get to pay the first price of leadership. I think you'll agree that more is to be gained by stickability, than chasing better deals, and most of the time our attitudes at the time of our quitting is setting the stage for almost certain failure in whatever we run to."
You're ability to stick to your dreams and to keep going when times get tough and when you run into obstacles is what is going to have the largest bearing on your success. Those who keep going, who make sure they are the last ones standing, are the ones that will reap the rewards. Too many give up right when they are about to turn the corner to success, because the going has gotten too tough. Too many give up when they have put in effort but have not seen results as quickly as they would like.
Calvin Coolidge said "Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."
Keep going; stick to what you start; don't quit. Persistence will win in the end. Ask yourself "how high does the hurdle have to be, how large the obstacle, before I throw in the towel and quit?" Remember your "why", and don't let anything keep you down. When you get knocked down, get up, dust yourself off, and just keep going.
I love this speech by Charles "Tremendous" Jones:
"Stickability is Tremendous"
"Stick by it, die by it, never give up. We need to burn the word "stickability" into our hearts. There is a plague sweeping the world, it is now reaching epidemic proportions. It's better known as the Quitters Disease. Everywhere I go I hear the phrase, in many different tones I QUIT - I QUIT - I QUIT. I expect to be greeted by some overwhelming, happy associate each time I return to the office with a great big -I QUIT. The problem with most people is that they don't realize what the problem is. I remember how I always wanted to quit. In fact, that's why I worked so hard to become successful so that I wouldn't have to go through that agonizing wanting to quit all the time. Then, finally, I became a success, and to my surprise, I wanted to quit anyway. I then learned that the human being hits psychological lows two or three times a year, and wants to quit for no reason at all. Of course, the real problem was in wanting to quit, because the more I would want to quit, the more I would want to quit, and the more I would want to quit, the more I was afraid I was going to quit, and I didn't want to quit, I just wanted to want to quit. Finally, one day I discovered the difference between quitting and wanting to quit. I then decided I would never quit, and now I enjoy quitting all the time, because I know I'm not going to QUIT. Sometimes someone will ask, "You mean you can't ever quit?" That's right, you can die, retire or get fired, but that's it. Of course, there are exceptions and you are going to think you're it every time you want to quit and if you sell out that easily, you'll never get to pay the first price of leadership. I think you'll agree that more is to be gained by stickability, than chasing better deals, and most of the time our attitudes at the time of our quitting is setting the stage for almost certain failure in whatever we run to."
You're ability to stick to your dreams and to keep going when times get tough and when you run into obstacles is what is going to have the largest bearing on your success. Those who keep going, who make sure they are the last ones standing, are the ones that will reap the rewards. Too many give up right when they are about to turn the corner to success, because the going has gotten too tough. Too many give up when they have put in effort but have not seen results as quickly as they would like.
Calvin Coolidge said "Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."
Keep going; stick to what you start; don't quit. Persistence will win in the end. Ask yourself "how high does the hurdle have to be, how large the obstacle, before I throw in the towel and quit?" Remember your "why", and don't let anything keep you down. When you get knocked down, get up, dust yourself off, and just keep going.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)