Throughout my life, I’ve played soccer, and I’ve played soccer at a very competitive level. Although I only played one year in college, I played after that as well. I can tell you, I have never been the best guy on the field. Just haven’t. I’m not the most talented soccer player. I certainly don’t have the build, and I certainly don’t have the skills the other guys have had. Yet, I’ve been able to maintain being able to play at a competitive level because I will outwork the other guy.
I know in my mind that I am willing to put in the work, put in the hustle, and actually do what it takes to run through and make that extra step to get the ball. Now, in soccer, I can make this analogy apply to almost anything I’ve been involved in. I’m not the most talented in business, certainly. I’m not the most talented or gifted speaker, but I’m willing to do the work. I’m willing to do the work that pushes me forward.
I’ve seen this time and time again. I didn’t get this as some innate being or something that was just inside me. In fact, my father, one time when I was a kid, told me I always give up. I remember that. But what I started to see over and over again was hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. Now, what I saw was, in my sporting career, was actually the guys on the team who tended to be the most talented would give up. They were lackadaisical. They knew they were good.
Yet, I was always picked at the top five on every soccer team I’ve ever been involved in. The only reason I was picked at the top is that I’ll hustle. I’ll actually go out there and grind it out each and every time. I love it. I love the competitive nature that soccer gave me. I love the physicality. I loved everything about the sport. I also had a mentality. People listening to this … a lot of the guys I played soccer with through the years listen to this, and they know. They’ve heard me say this sometimes. I’m a defender.
When I’m going down the field, and someone’s got the ball, and they’re coming near me, I’m mentally thinking, “That’s my ball. They took my ball, and I want it back,” and I go in with that ferocious feeling and I get that ball back most of the time.
Now, I’ve applied the same philosophy to business. Not an aggressive, competitive stance, but in the idea that I know I can grind it out. I know I can have the longevity and pull myself up by own bootstraps and get the work done.
There are a lot more talented business people out there, but most of the people that I run into that are extremely talented stop short of the finish line. They don’t actually push themselves and run through their goals. See, it’s just like training or just like working out. If you and I were to get on the field and we were to sprint 40 yards, would you run through that 40-yard line or would you stop just a few yards short? Now, I know you’re listening to this or watching me right now, and you’re the type that would run through each and every time.
But what I want you to consider is that there are times in our lives that we don’t push through. There are times in our lives that we don’t run through the finish line. These are the times that we want to recognize and recognize as patterns. Why aren’t we doing those little things necessary to push ourselves through that little bit extra?
Now, I also often hear from people like, “Hey, there are other people doing this. They’re more talented than I am,” “There are more talented graphic designers, so I won’t start my own graphic design business,” “There are more talented people in the acting field, so I won’t become an actor even though that’s my passion. I’ll sit back and I’ll work in my accountancy office instead of following my dreams.” I can tell you that my personal life experience, and life experience of most of the people that I talk to and my mentors, is that talent works and talent works well only when talent is working hard. But, unfortunately, talent doesn’t tend to work hard.
You have the opportunity of just pushing through just that little bit extra. So I’m going to ask you this, in your Five to Thrive … Write this down. That’s your mind, body, soul, relationships, and business. Where are you not pushing through that 40-yard line? Where are you running towards the finish line but stopping just a little bit short because you can see the end goal right in front of you? Where are you not sprinting through that finish? Now, what I want you to do is write those areas down. Don’t judge yourself, but write those areas down and ask yourself why.
Why are you not sprinting through? Is it your career? Are you just kind of coasting? 5:00 comes around, and you have a normal job and 5:00 is your let-out time and so 4:50 you’re starting to shut down the computer. That’s not going to get you to your goals. Sure, we all have done these things at times, but where can you put that little bit of extra effort in and push through? Because you know when you put that extra effort in, time flies, you have more fun, and you enjoy it better. You feel better about yourself.
So, where are you doing this across your Five to Thrive? Now, when you’ve got this down, ask yourself why you’re doing it. If it’s something you want to do, push through. Then, what I want you to do is ask yourself, “How does that feel?” How does that feel to push that extra little bit through?
Remember, your competition, whatever that is, even if that’s a competition with your old self, they’re coasting through the 40-yard line as you push through. That’s is for me today. Remember to go to authorofyourownstory.com where you can get more tips, tricks, and insights from experts in all across different fields. Have a great day!
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