Sunday, September 16, 2007
Why Is Being A Winner So Hard?
What is the hardest part about being a winner?
Hard work, imagination, creativity, or getting along with other people?
Believe it or not, the answer is believing you can be a winner. Just believing you can do the dog gone thing is the hardest part.I kid you not.
The process of actually accepting in your mind’s eye the possibility and reality that you in fact have what it takes to reach your prized goal is a big part of being a winner.
What is this “process of actually accepting”? It means knocking down the door of fear and walking directly into the light of positive belief and expectancy.
This is not the easiest thing in the world to do. The best way to approach this matter is to use the Incremental Process. And, what’s that? It’s the method used quite successfully in martial arts. It can take a white belt in martial arts all the way up to a black belt which is being a winner.
I am a 2nd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. So, I have some background in what I am talking about. The most practical approach to accomplishing the seemingly impossible is to use the incremental approach.
Let’s go back to the example of martial arts and incremental progression. A white belt student starting out is lucky if he can lift his leg, let alone execute a proper kick that has force and direction. Imagine how he must feel when he observes black belts executing fancy spin heel kicks and breaking boards held over the holder’s head!
Normally the entire spectacle is very overwhelming. Most white belts feel, after observing seasoned black belts execute these advanced kicks with force and precision, they will be lucky if they can advance to the next logical advancement of belts; namely, the yellow belt. In another words, forget about being a black belt. That whole process is entirely out of the question. It’s beyond a possibility of ever happening. The task is just too daunting.
So what do we do about this mess? Simple answer. We inject incremental progression and get everybody off the hook. How does this work in martial arts? Martial art schools introduce their students, Tae Kwon Do, to very basic kicks in a slow but sure manner. This is a sure way to being a winner.
The white belt learns to execute a “front” kick initially. This kick is integrated with various exercises to add interest and variety to the student. After several months of this, the instructor tests the white belt on basic key points. The student gets promoted to a yellow belt status, assuming he passes the white belt test.
This process is repeated over an over, all the way up to and through Black Belt tests. This step by step process helps the student avoid being overwhelmed by the daunting tasks of executing the more advanced kicks and maneuvers that exist with the advanced belt designations in martial arts.
Interestingly, only about 10% of beginning white belts aspirants actually go on to obtain a Black Belt. The same analogy can be applied to other endeavors in life. The point being, you can obtain seemingly very difficult tasks, if you approach them in a “incremental” manner which is being a winner.
First set your sight on your desired goal. Then immediately break it down to small manageable steps. The important thing here is to allow yourself enough time inorder to reach your goal. For example, it took me 7 years to reach my coveted goal of obtaining a black belt in tae kwon do.
I didn’t mind the time required, because I enjoyed the actual process of doing and participating in the martial art. This is very important. You must enjoy the environment you will be in during the process of your coveted goal obtainment.
If you don’t love the “environment” that comes with your desired objective, then forget about it and go on to something else more suitable to your talents and temperament. Sometimes you need to try different things and explore. Don’t be afraid to do this. Change and exploration is an essential to growth and success. Stand for Your Greatness
Hard work, imagination, creativity, or getting along with other people?
Believe it or not, the answer is believing you can be a winner. Just believing you can do the dog gone thing is the hardest part.I kid you not.
The process of actually accepting in your mind’s eye the possibility and reality that you in fact have what it takes to reach your prized goal is a big part of being a winner.
What is this “process of actually accepting”? It means knocking down the door of fear and walking directly into the light of positive belief and expectancy.
This is not the easiest thing in the world to do. The best way to approach this matter is to use the Incremental Process. And, what’s that? It’s the method used quite successfully in martial arts. It can take a white belt in martial arts all the way up to a black belt which is being a winner.
I am a 2nd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. So, I have some background in what I am talking about. The most practical approach to accomplishing the seemingly impossible is to use the incremental approach.
Let’s go back to the example of martial arts and incremental progression. A white belt student starting out is lucky if he can lift his leg, let alone execute a proper kick that has force and direction. Imagine how he must feel when he observes black belts executing fancy spin heel kicks and breaking boards held over the holder’s head!
Normally the entire spectacle is very overwhelming. Most white belts feel, after observing seasoned black belts execute these advanced kicks with force and precision, they will be lucky if they can advance to the next logical advancement of belts; namely, the yellow belt. In another words, forget about being a black belt. That whole process is entirely out of the question. It’s beyond a possibility of ever happening. The task is just too daunting.
So what do we do about this mess? Simple answer. We inject incremental progression and get everybody off the hook. How does this work in martial arts? Martial art schools introduce their students, Tae Kwon Do, to very basic kicks in a slow but sure manner. This is a sure way to being a winner.
The white belt learns to execute a “front” kick initially. This kick is integrated with various exercises to add interest and variety to the student. After several months of this, the instructor tests the white belt on basic key points. The student gets promoted to a yellow belt status, assuming he passes the white belt test.
This process is repeated over an over, all the way up to and through Black Belt tests. This step by step process helps the student avoid being overwhelmed by the daunting tasks of executing the more advanced kicks and maneuvers that exist with the advanced belt designations in martial arts.
Interestingly, only about 10% of beginning white belts aspirants actually go on to obtain a Black Belt. The same analogy can be applied to other endeavors in life. The point being, you can obtain seemingly very difficult tasks, if you approach them in a “incremental” manner which is being a winner.
First set your sight on your desired goal. Then immediately break it down to small manageable steps. The important thing here is to allow yourself enough time inorder to reach your goal. For example, it took me 7 years to reach my coveted goal of obtaining a black belt in tae kwon do.
I didn’t mind the time required, because I enjoyed the actual process of doing and participating in the martial art. This is very important. You must enjoy the environment you will be in during the process of your coveted goal obtainment.
If you don’t love the “environment” that comes with your desired objective, then forget about it and go on to something else more suitable to your talents and temperament. Sometimes you need to try different things and explore. Don’t be afraid to do this. Change and exploration is an essential to growth and success. Stand for Your Greatness
