Part 1
by Arthur Pledger
This is the first of a 5 part series that will cover each element of this Success Model. The components of success pyramid is the result of studying my personal success as well as the success of countless other individuals. With this model, you will be able to replicate successful results in every endeavor that you choose to undertake.
Lack of Talent is No Excuse!
Notice I did not include “talent” as part of my success model. That’s because many of the things that I have mastered in my life weren’t the result of a talent that I possessed beforehand, but came only after I motivated myself acquire the knowledge that would lead to mastery.
I was once employed by a sales company where I was told by my evaluators that I should be performing so much better than the mediocre results I dragged in. Meanwhile, idividuals who seemed to lack my natural abilities of public speaking and charisma seemed to thrive. Watching this dynamic in action, it dawned on me: Greatness isnt automatically granted to a person just because they are talented. Greatness is a choice.
Fortune Magazine produced an article entitled What It Takes to Be Great:
“you do not possess a natural gift for a certain job, because targeted natural gifts don’t exist. You are not a born CEO or investor or chess grandmaster. You will achieve greatness only through an enormous amount of hard work over many years. And not just any hard work, but work of a particular type that’s demanding and painful.”
“Elite performers in many diverse domains have been found to practice, on the average, roughly the same amount every day, including weekends.” – What it Takes to be Great
Motivation is the foundation of any successful venture. Without the drive to reach the pinnacle of excellence, you will fall far short of the investment needed to make your goal a reality.
Its not enough to simply say “I will be great”, you must define very specifically what you will be great at. For instance, if you want to become a world class basketball player, you first must identify the areas that you need to be great at specifically (free throws, dribbling, rebounding, etc). Once you have identified these specific areas, you must be able to measure your progress numerically (99+% lay-ups, 70+% free-throws, 50+% field goals, 33+% 3-pointers). Once you begin to improve (from making 30% of all your shots one day to making 50% the next), the positive feedback that you will receive from your small victory will motivate you to keep going. Fear of losing progress will get you out of bed and into the gym at 5am. This example applies to every field of endeavor, be it losing weight, improving your credit, or writing a blog.
We all have days when we need an extra push to get up and get going. So what can you do to motivate yourself? Some of these great suggestions that have worked for me
- Keep a progress chart – You will be able to see how far you’ve come, and how far you have to go. The act of filling in your chart alone will motivate you towards continuing your progress
- Watch a movie clip – The hardest thing about going to the gym is going to the gym (because once you’re in there, the atmosphere will get you in gear). On days when I am finding it hard to get up and get into the gym, I watch the training montage from Rocky 4 on youtube. Or when I dont feel like hitting the phones and making sales, Glenngary, Glenn Ross does the trick
- Keep an album – Full of images clipped from magazines or newspaper articles. Whatever reminds you of your mission or motivates you. Flip through your album whenever you find yourself lacking the motivation to get off your ass!
Your Homework:
1.On a piece of paper, identify an area that you wish to become great in. Break down all the individual elements that greatness in that area is made up of and attach a measurable number to those elements.
Example: I will reach a position of financial excellence by paying down $5000 in debt, increasing my credit score to 750, and buying a home that I will live in for at least 10 years.
2. Start work on your album. Grab a copy of the latest Robb Report, and use that as a primer. You know why they publish magazines like Robb Report? Because somebody is rich enough to buy the things in that magazine, is why! Why not you?
World Domination with Arthur Pledger 