“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” -Thomas Edison
Have you noticed how successful leaders are not just motivating mouthpieces, but they instead are doers? They don’t just talk the talk – they walk the walk. Success in any endeavor is always preceded by hard work. Very rarely is there a real “get rich quick” or “rags to riches” story that happened overnight by some stroke of luck. 99.99% of the time, success, no matter how you might define it, comes to those who put forth consistent, diligent, intelligent effort.
Get ‘Er Done!
Successful leaders are not always as long on technical knowledge as they are on motivating themselves (not necessarily others) to do what it takes to get the job done. If they run into an issue that might prevent them from completing the task, they will immediately deal with it. Putting it off for another time simply isn’t an option. They believe that a good start is a journey half completed, so they start and keep going. They have the willpower or determination to overcome inertia.
If you know anyone who is a success in their line of work, career, business, or charity, you know they are self-starters and self-promoters. You see, when we work hard, persist through difficulty, ignore the nay-sayers, and find ourselves on the precipice of achieving our dreams, we gain a certain swagger or confidence that makes it easy to get up in the morning. It is also easier to promote ourselves because we know that we will get the job done. Success breeds success as they say, and the only way to get there is to put the work in.
An honest day’s work is our moral obligation, to be sure. It’s an obligation to our family, and the company we might represent. But the most important obligation is to ourselves. At its core, commitment starts with ourselves. Ask yourself: Do I keep the promises I make to myself? Am I so committed to my goals and dreams that I will let nothing get in the way of achieving them? When you can honestly look in the mirror and say “yes” to those questions, success is not a matter of if – it’s a matter of when.
Get ‘Er Done Right!
Just before you lay your head on your pillow at night, make sure you can honestly say, “Today I have given an effective, diligent, full day’s effort to my goals. I have remained disciplined in planning, time management, and my top priorities.” No matter what your career happens to be, here are the three keys to honest, intelligent effort. If these keys are practiced day in and day out, you will always be rewarded:
1. Do the right activities! Whatever industry or career in which you find yourself, determine what these activities are, and focus, focus, focus. Don’t let the distractions of “non-income producing activities” get in your way.
2. Do them correctly! Learn what you need to learn in order to be the best and most efficient. Doing the right things, the right way eliminates “do-overs”, and other time wasters.
3. Do them often! Make sure the majority of your day is used performing only the tasks that will move you closer to achieving your goals. Successful leaders simply find the right tasks, do them correctly, then repeat – over and over and over again!
Commit to double and triple your efforts to work on the right things, the right way, often! Success will not be some abstract concept that resides only in your imagination. It will become a reality. It’s quite surreal when you begin to live out what you had previously only imagined could come true, but it will happen when you seize the opportunity to work hard, work intelligently, and work with persistence.
To Your Success!
Jerry Spangler
904-233-2452
