Many people dream, a few dream big, but only a select few dream big and long. These select few, not coincidentally, also happen to be the ones who achieve the most in any field. Dreaming big, in other words, although a necessary ingredient to success is not sufficient in itself, for without the ability to endure the predictable ups and downs on the success journey, a person’s poor thinking will disqualify him from continuing the journey.
Indeed, this is why one of the resolutions in my Top 100 All-Time Leadership book RESOLVED is Adversity Quotient (AQ) , the ability to handle setbacks without quitting. Perseverance is a combination of knowing why one began the journey, reframing failures into teachable moments, and holding onto the success rope when everything in you wants to let go. This is what makes a champion a champion, the relentless pursuit of perfection regardless of the time and effort needed to create the desired results.
Perseverance
If I had a dime for every person who had what it takes to win who quit on himself, I’d double my net worth. 🙂 Talent, in other words, is rarely the problem; instead, perseverance is what separates the haves from the have-nots. No matter what the field, the resolutions of Purpose, Attitude, and AQ are all part of building the level of perseverance necessary to achieve success at the highest levels. Does the reader know why he does what he does? Has he developed the ability to reframe his setbacks into teachable moments? Can he persevere no matter how great the pain of temporary denial and frustration?
If the reader answered yes to these questions then his success clock is ticking and its only a matter of time before his internal victories are revealed externally. Yes, get a big dream, but also back it up with the AQ to dream long. Success rarely goes to the most talented, but it always goes to the one who refuses to quit until he wins! Perhaps it’s time for the readers to pick up RESOLVED again and begin building the resolutions on the inside to reveal them on the outside.
Furthermore, for advanced study, the Mental Fitness Challenge can help burn the resolutions into one’s thinking to make living them part of one’s DNA. Needless to say, the resolutions are the most predictable formula for success that I know, but they only work when the person does.
Sincerely,