Stealing Fame

Ricky Henderson is in the Hall of Fame.

You may not like the man Ricky Henderson, but how anyone could not like the "Baseball Incredibleness" that is Ricky Henderson. He's not just first in Stolen Bases, he stole the record and buried it.

To break the record, Ricky even did it in Ricky style. His record breaking stolen base was not second base- it was third base. When everyone in the stadium was wanting it, looking for it and expecting it- he just did it. And what was the first thing he did? He stole the actual base.

There are pretty weird stories out there about Ricky, but as a watcher of a single man disrupting the team sport of Baseball, I have to say:

Thank you Ricky for the memories, the excitement you brought to the game, and the example that although it's better to be a great person, there is a place for people who are just great at what they do.

Frolov and Schneider Said...

There is nothing sadder in this world than the waste of human potential. The purpose of evolution is to raise us out of the mud, not have us groveling in it.

Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

Crap!

I wrote about potential yesterday, but as I thought about it all, it really isn't the potential that matters- it's only the perceived value of a person or at least his abilities, the trick is doing something about it!

So today, I am going to follow my own advice and set my course of what to do. Using my own observed 7 elements of success, I iwill map out and do and make my potential realized! as the own saying goes, it's time to crap or get off the pot!

SUCCESS: S*U*C- Challenge

When setting a goal, or determining a successful endeavor, if there is no challenge, there is no success. You might accomplish the task, but was there any value to it? Is it something that you can really hang your hat on?

I saw on the news that a married couple were the only winners of a $200 million plus jackpot. Although I won't say they won't enjoy the money, no one, including themselves, will consider the couple a financial success story. They got lucky. Their true success and happiness now will be determined by how they use the money they have been given. There are many stories of people who were given many things, but found them of very little value when self-worth was questioned.

Make the goal of your success worth pursuing. Aim for the stars. If it doesn't mean anything to you- what worth does it have?

SUCCESS: S*U- Understanding (Repeat)

“Furious activity is no substitute for understanding.”- H.H. Williams

Although knowing where you want to go is a key element of success, knowing how to get there is another.

What does it take? Has anybody else blazed the trail? What resources are available to help you? What will it be when you accomplish the goal? Are you willing to learn and re-learn as you go?

SUCCESS: S (Repeat)

If success is accomplishing that which you set out to do, wouldn't it follow that it is important to know "that which you set out to do"?

Where do you struggle? Myself it is the daily things that get the best of me. You see I have a clear picture of my long term goals, and tackling the things that are the big ticket items is no big deal. But those daily things, those short term goals eat me alive!

I rarely establish my daily goals. Weekends OK. But all those days during the week I am so willing to let the day's events dictate my actions.

The day's events fill all the time and I rarely take the time to get my stuff done on a timely basis. When I come to a dead line that effects my long term goals- I then have to push everything and "last minute" my stuff. This operation always steals the sense of accomplishment, makes it hard to fit in the important or fun events that come around all the time.

Start making daily priorities for your yourself. Identify three things YOU need to get done. Write them down and get them done no matter what. At the end of a week, I guarantee you that you will see your accomplishments and feel successful. If these are the things truly important to you, they most likely will be moving towards your long term goals, and after a month, three months, you will see your success path opening up before you.

SUCCESS: S*U*C*C*E*S- Segmenting

"When I took office, only high energy physicists had ever heard of what is called the World Wide Web...now even my cat has its own page."- President Bill Clinton

Look at the Internet. You can't! You don't have enough time in your lifetime to see all the pages. And at the rate that new sites are available, you couldn't even keep up with the new ones. You would be hard pressed to keep up with new blog pages on Blogger!

As huge as the Internet is, it was built one page at a time. Bill Clinton or Al Gore just didn't invent the whole thing in one day, using the entire White House staff to make pages all night and then say "Here it is!!" They must have spent an entire three day weekend! But the point is they only could invent it one page at a time.

Likewise, you're goals- if they are grand and inspiring, if they are challenging, don't happen over night. They are built over time, by a series of events. Events that form mile markers along the way. Identify those mile markers.

If your goal is to Climb Mt Everest, are there things in between that must be accomplished? Purchase of gear, training, smaller practice mountains, bake sales to finance your trip? You know where you want to go, you should have increased your "understanding" of what it takes to get there; now, just specifically identify steps on your way. When you accomplish those steps, celebrate them.

By doing this you will not only prepare yourself to succeed at your primary goal, but you will build momentum along the way.

SUCCESS: S*U*C*C*E- Execution

As Nike put it- "Just do It!"

As the author Maya Angelou put it- "Nothing will work unless you do."

We must be willing to do the legwork, carry out the plans, pursue the vision. I once heard that a goal not written is a wish. I will add, a success plan without work is only a success plan, and will ever be.

I'll admit, however, that sometimes I feel more like Woody Allen- who said, " I don't want to achieve immortality though my work...I want to achieve it through not dying".

But that, however, just makes you old.

SUCCESS: S*U*C*C- Commitment

Aoccdrnig to rseearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy,it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

When your committed to a cause, you see the whole picture and small hurdles do not stop you. When you commit to yourself, you look past your ownimperfectionss and you keep your eye on your target and you do not waver.

SUCCESS: S*U*C- Challenge

When setting a goal, or determining a successful endeavor, if there is no challenge, there is no success. You might accomplish the task, but was there any value to it? Is it something that you can really hang your hat on?

I saw on the news that a married couple were the only winners of a $200 million plus jackpot. Although I won't say they won't enjoy the money, no one, including themselves, will consider the couple a financial success story. They got lucky. Their true success and happiness now will be determined by how they use the money they have been given. There are many stories of people who were given many things, but found them of very little value when self-worth was questioned.

Make the goal of your success worth pursuing. Aim for the stars. If it doesn't mean anything to you- what worth does it have?

SUCCESS: S*U- Understanding

“Furious activity is no substitute for understanding.”- H.H. Williams

Although knowing where you want to go is a key element of success, knowing how to get there is another.

What does it take? Has anybody else blazed the trail? What resources are available to help you? What will it be when you accomplish the goal? Am I willing to learn and re-learn as I go?

I’ll explore these questions further as we explore the elements of success each Saturday.

Have a great Weekend!

SUCCESS: S- Steering

Saturday Morning and what are you going to do? Is it planned out?

Now before you go on and start believing I’m some kind of “anal-retentive, got to plan every minute” nut, hear me out.

When I mean plan- I just mean you have previously decided what today will be. So when it starts happening, you can relax and know it’s all part of the game plan. Let me give you some examples.

Do you like to sleep in on weekend mornings? Just know in your head then that weekend mornings are for sleeping. When you wake up at 9, 10, 11- it’s OK. You planned for it. Maybe you want the whole day to be spontaneous. My suggestion would be to have that part of the program. Decide ahead of time that you are not planning anything!

I, myself, wanted to sleep in to 6. (I know that sounds sick) write my blog spot and then I am off to Lowe’s to do my "manly" shopping before breakfast with the family. The rest of my day has an agenda as well, with some open spots to do whatever the family decides.

The important part is that I am in control and have decided ahead of time what I am going to do today. I will not be frustrated later because I didn’t get to my blog, or I slept in too late and now must fight the crowds at Lowe’s. I will be able to enjoy the second half of the day, which I have no idea what that might be.

Sometimes we get too fixed on the big goals- “what I want to be when I grow up”. Although that is important- the battle is really won on the smaller goals. What am I going to do today- or even planning out tomorrow. Make each day, even if a day of play and spontaneity, part of the bigger plan of your personal success.

Yogi Berra said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you ain’t going to get there.”

Have a great weekend!