What does it take for you to be a winner?
“Without AMBITION one starts nothing. Without WORK one finishes nothing. The prize will NOT be sent to you. You have to WIN it. The man who knows HOW will always have a job. The man who also knows WHY will always be his boss. As to METHODS there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps PRINCIPLES can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have TROUBLE.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
This is an amazing quote! Emerson wrote it over 150 years ago, yet it is as true today as then.
No question, the prize will NOT be sent to you. You have to WIN it.
You have to take the ACTIONS necessary to produce RESULTS up to your EXPECTATIONS.
All last week I asked what’s holding you back from realizing your greatest aspirations… from WINNING the game of success… day in, day out?
This week, we will focus on unleashing the winner within, giving you the Principles of Winning!
What does WINNING mean?
Here’s some advice from a friend of mine — 2-time Super Bowl champion and TQ Master, Rod Smith:
“The key to success is simple: Expect more from yourself every day, then Execute beyond Expectations.” ~ Rod Smith
What does it mean to be a WINNER?
Here’s what my trusty American Heritage dictionary has to say:
Verb: To acquire as a result of one’s actions, behavior or effort. Getting, gaining, earning, deserving, meriting.
Verb: To come into possession of. Getting, obtaining, coming by, gaining, acquiring, landing, securing, picking up, procuring.
Verb: To obtain possession or control of. Taking, getting, gaining, capturing.
Thus, a WINNER is…
Someone who is successful or victorious in (a contest or conflict)… a person with the determination to win… to acquire or secure as a result of a contest, conflict, bet, or other endeavor.
Pretty straightforward, isn’t it? If you succeed at what you attempt, you are, by definition, a WINNER!
How to WIN more often.
To me, WINNING means achieving what you set out to accomplish, either personally or as part of a team. When you achieve the results you want, you WIN. If you fail to achieve the results you desire, you don’t.
This week, I want you to think about your WIN/LOSS record a bit. Not to dwell on the losses, but to discover issues in your performance that, when corrected, will allow you to WIN a great deal more frequently.
1) ____________________________
2) ____________________________
3) ____________________________
Time Horizon: Labor Day.
Look at these goals. What will it take for you to WIN these by Labor Day, 2017?
Believe Emerson. No one is going to just hand you these 3 goals any more than they will just hand you a prize for showing up.
Do you have a WINNING ATTITUDE right now?
Here’s some simple advice.
Put TQ Factor 3B into action!
Success is the direct result of taking the right actions, the right way, at the right time for the right reasons.
Understand this and you can take on anything with confidence. Just discover what the right actions are and do them.
Your success isn’t limited by past mistakes—but by your willingness to take the right actions right now!
If you have no confidence in your ability, you won’t even try.
But, if you’re committed to do whatever it takes until you get it right—you will eagerly proceed with the confidence to succeed.
The following Ideas for Action from our Attitude Personal Workshop represent some of the best thinking on the planet about getting SPECIFIC about your goals. Each is designed to inspire and motivate you to actually do TQ Factor 3B a great deal more frequently.
Factor 3B’s CONTRIBUTION to your performance…
A high commitment to this Factor of your performance suggests you approach every situation with the expectation that you will ultimately find the right thing to do and then do it. Because you are confident you can achieve anything you want, an endless series of possibilities open up. This is not simplistic, blind faith that things will always work out. Instead, it’s a belief gained from a history of trying new things and staying with them until you succeed.
Even when you don’t know if you’ll succeed, you still take action in pursuit of what you want—because you are certain you will figure it out eventually.
Factor 3B’s COST to your success…
A lack of commitment to this area of your performance suggests you are someone who tends to fear failure and avoids the pain of doing things wrong.
A lack of confidence, and a fear of failure prevents you from proceeding—more times than you’d like. You find it hard to take action when there’s no guarantee of success. It’s even worse when you’ve never done something before.
This lack of confidence holds you back from small things like initiating conversations with strangers—to large decisions like career changes.
And day-by-day, you simply give up on things you want—because you have no belief in your ability to achieve them.
Factor Benefit…
The BENEFIT of choosing to do Factor 3B a bit more frequently: You have more power…
You have the confidence to passionately pursue anything and everything you want. You accumulate performance positives like “Confident, Self-Assured, and Optimistic”—immediately moving you towards the results you expect.
What happens when you FAIL to consistently do Factor 10C?
You have less power…
There are things you want, but you hesitate to try because you fear failure more than you expect success. Negatives like “Doubtful, Hesitant and Pessimistic” start to take their toll on your performance—quickly moving you away from the success you want.
The Bottom Line…
You can WIN a great deal more frequently. You can reach your aspirations.
Break free of your comfort zone… extend your grasp.
The best advice I can give you right now is this: Stop dabbling at it. Give it all you’ve got.
E.R. Haas, CEO
Category: Color Commentaries, Featured, Personal Growth
