The Key to Success: Excellence Is Born of Practice and Passion

Do you want to be good at what you do or do you want to excel and enjoy the benefits of success? Don’t lose hope! It’s all within your reach.

Sometimes people want to do whatever is necessary to get along. If you’re reading this, you’re like me you will never fit into that category.

It took me nearly seventy years, but I’ve finally discovered the secret to success.

We were all born with passions. It may take us decades to uncover a hidden passion, but it’s there. It lives in our subconscious. It develops and brews until that critical moment when we realize we have a burning desire to not only follow that inner desire but to stimulate and grow it.

How we grow our passion is made clear through the science of acquiring the skills to build upon the natural abilities, we already possess. Building on existing skills is dependent on consistent practice.

I don’t know why it took me so long, but I now remember a study I researched for one of my college classes at the University of Northern Iowa.

The Study:

Two groups of young men were selected to participate in a study to increase

their ability to shoot a basketball. One group went to the gym and shot hoops for several hours each and every day. The second group sat in a chair with their eyes closed and visualized themselves making basket after basket.

Both groups were experienced players.

At the end of the study, the two groups met in the gym to discover whether or not their averages had improved during the study. They needed to determine which method reached the highest level of success.

The Outcome:

The group who visualized making consistent baskets improved their scores at an undisputable rate, far above the group who practiced on the court.

I’ve tried for years to understand that test. My gut tells me the group who visualized success didn’t have to recover the balls. They were able to double and triple the number of baskets they made over the other group.

There’s no need to discuss any further scientific tests here because it has been well-documented that practice improves anyone’s ability to perfect whatever skill they are practicing.

The Process:

My success in life has always come from the attitude that I can do better tomorrow than I did today. I have enjoyed success in business, as a parent, in art, and in writing.

I ran into trouble with my direct boss and my biggest competitor at my last job because I refused to compete directly against her. My goal each and every day was to perform better than I did the day before. In my gut, I knew that to turn my attention on the other employee would spell the end of my ability to produce results and success would be lost to me.

My job wasn’t to beat her. My job was to bring additional profits into the firm to grow our business. My job was to provide value to our customers. My job was to feel good about myself each night when I closed my eyes, not to lay awake at night trying to figure out how I could beat or destroy someone else.

The other key to my success was that I believed I could never reach perfection. I thought I could continue to try each day to improve upon yesterday. There was nothing more and nothing less.

What Is Your Passion?

Success requires your primary focus to be on what you discover you’re passionate to achieve. Your secondary focus then is to improve the skills necessary to reach that goal each and every day.

That doesn’t mean you can’t change direction in life. Music was my life when I was young, and that passion continued until an accident prevented me from sitting on the organ bench. The music that lifted my spirits when I was sad or calmed me down when I was angry was no longer accessible to me.

I turned my passion into parenting my children and recovering from the brain injury. My sheer will to live normally again became the greatest passion I have experienced in this life.

Challenge Yourself

It doesn’t matter what you want to accomplish in life; you have to work consistently to improve.

There are no limits in this life. You are the only force that can limit your abilities to excel at anything.

Don’t get hung up on the fact that the flame of a previous passion is going out. You live life in a series of steps. The dreams of your childhood remain on the bottom steps. That’s how it’s meant to be. Your success in life will take on many different forms as you continue to grow. That growth will take on many different forms as you explore your passions.

As you continue to climb the stairway, you will discover new and ever broader passions. Life takes on a new meaning, and you can achieve things you never dreamed of on your way up.

Motivation

The thing is, you have to find the motivation to get out of the rut you’re in. Without motivation, no one can achieve greatness. You can remain miserable, or you can dig in and do whatever it takes to pursue your passion.

My primary incentive turned out to be a husband who became incredibly angry when I was unable to work. The loss of my income meant we couldn’t afford all the toys. Heck, we couldn’t even afford to buy groceries.

Because I couldn’t talk right, he began to make fun of me and talk backward in front of the children.

My motivation was simple. I didn’t want that kind of anger to rub off on my beautiful sons. I had to get better. I needed to get out, but I didn’t have the ability – much less the skills – to be able to provide a safe home for them.

My motivation boiled down to being able to survive and protect my kids. Nothing else mattered.

Success

Your success depends on you. Surround yourself with people who have the same passions. Tap into their understanding and knowledge. Move on when the flame begins to go out and life draws you in a new direction.

Success is yours if you want it. The key is you have to want it.

Christina’s 31 Daily Habits for Success in Business and Life Click Here

Please click on the comments below and let me know how your passions in life have driven your sucess through the years.

Be Safe…Be Kind…Pass It On!