Failure is always an option and if you’ve read anything that I’ve ever posted you’ll know its an option that I’m more than comfortable with … with 2 caveats.
DON’T TRIP OVER YOUR OWN SHOELACES.
This is a fairly simple rule that you can extrapolate onto almost every area of your life. Don’t show up late to a meeting … brush your teeth before you say hello to a prospect … remember your wife’s birthday! It’s really not hard, but a great deal of failures come down to not doing the simple stuff and mastering the fundamentals. Sweat the details … and don’t do dumb stuff too often.
CROSS THE LINE, NO MATTER WHAT.
A mentor of mine taught me this and hammered it into me … too many people give up at 98m of a 100m race. It’s easy to see from the outside and painful to watch, so stay true to the path you set out on no matter what happens. Even if you know you have lost, finish the race! The greatest in the world understand this because they don’t try to win in the first place … they simply seek to compete at the highest possible level of excellence that they can bring. Winning is a byproduct, it’s the reward that validates the early starts, the long days, the continuous hustle and sacrifice no matter what else is presented.
There is literally 1,000 examples of this. Just yesterday Federer came back from 7 match points to reach the semi final of the Australian Open … continued and relentless execution. Last Week, Connor McGregor beat one of the most decorated UFC champions in 40 seconds … continued and relentless execution. Historically, Edison registered over 1,000 patents (and built a light bulb) … continued and relentless execution.
I cannot guarantee any specific individual will win in any specific competition … but I will bet everything that those who focus on continued and relentless execution win far more than they lose.
“The Key To Winning: Avoid Dumb S**t, Master the Fundamentals and Always Cross the Line.”
