Nobody Told Them They Can’t

ABC’s 20/20 highlighted what is happening in the new economy in their documentaries on Winning. I am seeing the leveling of the playing field daily in the business coaching we do with entrepreneurs and sales professionals. Anyone who is willing to fail can win in this economy. The barriers to go make something happen are so low. Be sure to watch the documentary and note the attitude of the young people and their journey to success.

Everything in our system worked against them. People told them they couldn’t. For some, their products lacked any value to others. They had to overcome their own lack of belief at times. They all worked very hard and persevered, several through financial obstacles.

It is always the same story. The funny thing about celebrity worship in our country is that they all take the unconventional path. They are willing to fail and still do. “I would be failing if I weren’t trying,” said one successful entrepreneur. It is who they are. The onlookers who are enamored by what they have achieved could do the same thing. However, two things keep them as observers and not players:

1. Hard Work
2. Belief

I rarely run across a person who has both. If you do, we should talk.

Solving Problems

One of the key ways to find out if you are a winner is to observe how you attack problems. The mass of humanity is addicted to comfort. They make excuses or blame others in solving problems. It does not matter whether the problems are business, financial, relational, health, working hard or anything else that causes us to think, act, or decide. The bigger and more complex the problems you solve indicate your leadership and inevitable ability to win. Life is one giant problem. Things do not go the way we plan or desire ever.

Two words that are key to anyone’s success that few people are able to do: HARD WORK. The other two words are KNOW HOW. Without these as part of your approach to life, you are merely selling, conning and positioning to get the benefits winners effuse without paying the price. Thus, you are in that mode Thoreau lamented: a “life of quiet desperation.” Start adding value and get out of your laziness, lest your life be built on compromise, desperation and scavenging.

Bug Me

Your level of busyness can keep so many things off your radar that need to be on your mind. On the one hand, to be a high level performer, you need to decide and act on information to get results. This is the difference between performers and non-performers. However, there needs to be a place in your psyche for the things you need to stay committed to. I have used 43things as a tool to keep me self-pinged on what I need to keep on the horizon of my life. Try it out and see if you can move towards what you say is important by staying conscience and committed to it.