There is a reason why we don’t see Ferrari and Lamborghini adverts on TV.
Actually there are two. First reason is that luxury car companies would never like people to see their products as easy as on TV. That’s why it feels like a privilege every time we see any of these cars. Secondly, these companies know that their potential customers are not watching TV. Our minds think in visuals and if you think of any successful man or a woman you would never picture them sitting and watching TV, unless of course you are thinking of a movie or TV director or a producer.
So what do successful people do? I like the saying that ‘Success is a journey and not a destination’ and successful people never search for a destination. They are travellers who see experiences as opportunities to progress and time as the most useful resource.
Only dead fish go with the flow
Steve Jobs once said that. “Each year has been so robust with problems and successes and learning experiences and human experiences that a year is life time at Apple. So this has been ten lifetimes.” For some people life is not just about getting up in the morning and going for work. Everyday is an opportunity for them to achieve something fresh and new. It is easy to undermine what each day has to offer but your passion for your dreams and your commitment for your goals can help you to notice these opportunities all around you. Our minds are designed to notice things that we identify as our needs. For example, if you are looking for a car, you will notice different adverts or brands of cars all around you and when you are searching for a good house to buy you would start noticing features of houses that you admire. To appreciate the opportunities around, we must strive for progress. We must realise the true potential of each day.
Become your toughest competitor
According to one of the greatest athletes in the history of sports, Michael Jordan, “you compete with yourself everyday because you set high standards for yourself that you have to go out each day and live up to that.” Your dream is the reason why you should get out of bed every morning and your goals will define your potential. If you set yourself goals that are aspirational and challenging, even your failures will be better than most people’s best. In 1954 experts said no one can run one mile under four minutes. One man named Roger Bannister heard it and was keen to prove it wrong. He worked hard and with commitment and perseverance, he broke the record. LeBron, before becoming a superstar, used to only make 29% of three – point shot attempts. He was told by the coaches that he should do 400 three – point attempts everyday. Today, he is a living legend with the highest percentage of successful attempts.
Confidence makes you a champion
Mohammad Ali, Usain Bolt, Venus Williams, LeBron James…. the list is long. All these athletes have one thing in common – they all believed in themselves. You would never see them nervous or panicking. Some athletes start their matches or races with a smile because smile helps your brain to feel relaxed and you can give your 100%. Confidence keeps you motivated, positive and in control of your emotions. However, confidence is a skill and like any other skill the best way to attain it is repetition, determination and focus. Confidence doesn’t come with winning, when you watch 16 year old Sachin Tendulkar’s first match he got out on fifteen runs, in his second match he faced one of the fastest bowlers of Cricket with confidence and scored a century.
Determination – Fuel of life
“Gold medals are not made of gold. they’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard to find alloy called guts” – Dan Gable
Pele used to play football with a sock stuffed with newspapers because he couldn’t buy one when he was young. His determination led to number of sacrifices that he had to make in order to be known as a living legend. We all face obstacles and the ways we choose to deal with these obstacles define us. Obstacles can come in all shapes and sizes. Laziness, procrastination, bad habits, unhealthy diet, unhealthy routine are few of the common obstacles we face most of the time. Recognising these obstacles and building a plan – a step by step process can help you to deal with these obstacles and rejuvenate your motivation. You may fail some days but your determination for being a better self can change your situation entirely.
Success is all about our mindset and we can train ourselves to be successful. Anyone can be a champion, but only if they appreciate what every day is offering, push your limits to the most, and work hard with determination and strong confidence in themselves.
Jaskamal Sidhu 