Most important things I've learned so far
Throughout my athletic, academic and now professional careers I have seen many parallels relating to successful individuals and their actions and thought processes. Within these parameters I have seen what could be defined as a “back to basics” philosophy as one of the most important aspects of success. In order to achieve what can become complex you must be sure to have the basics down. Sounds simple right? I would argue that it is an aspect of success that is commonly overlooked. It seems as though people often try to, in generic terms “run before they can walk”. I have broken down three basics that I find as the most essential parts of building success whether it be in athletics, school, or the work place.
You do not know everything
A common issue I saw and continue seeing especially in millennials is an undeserved self-sense of accomplishment and ego. And is not a genuine ego, this is a hidden insecurity in who someone really is. It would be wrong to generalize an entire population of youth; however, this is a common trend. What I am talking about is the idea that because you have attended a webinar, read a book or wrote an article does not make you a genius in a subject matter (however, these are good things and keep doing them). Now this doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways to get ahead in life or work at a fast pace- with hard work and the right timing that is without-a- doubt- doable. But to truly know and understand something well- this takes time, experience, practice, and influence from the right people- absorbing the RIGHT material and acquiring the ability to convey it in a universally understandable manner. In essence; never be too bold or too proud to shut your mouth and just listen. Listening is an enormous key to success, and those who are in a position of success will often tell you this- if you LISTEN. So no, you do not know everything- and yes you can learn more.
Be Genuine.
Most careers in today’s world have a focus or large aspect on interacting or communication with other people. This can be through meetings, customer service, emails phone calls- whatever. Typically, individuals are not good actors and if you are fake, phony, monotone, or don’t care what you are talking about people will recognize this and immediately be put off, especially if there is a need to be presentable to someone in a C-level position- they will see right through. There needs to be a genuine love or passion for what you do- if you don’t feel that way you probably need to change your job. Very rarely will you hear of a success story of someone who starting something they didn’t really care about. Without a passion for what you are doing you will lack the belief- and when you lack a belief in yourself no one will believe in you. So- be genuine and always follow your passion.
You can do more.
I recently read an article about a cockroach at a restaurant. The story, in short, goes like this. A man was at a restaurant when he noticed a cockroach fly in. The bug landed on a woman while she was eating. The woman screamed, stood up and shook her body wailing her arms in an attempt to get it off of her. The bug flew off her and onto her husband, he then stood up and tried to get the bug off him in a frantic way. The waiter tried to come to the rescue- in his efforts the cockroach lands on him. He breathes deeply and cups the cockroach with his hands and brings it outside the restaurant. This showed the man a few things. It was the cockroach that created this chaos, it was the individuals at the table lacking the ability to handle the situation. In
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