People don't fail, they give up

Look around, and you see others enjoying great vacations, fancy cars, and great careers. Especially when you don't have these things, it is easy to lose your confidence, which makes these (and other goals) even less attainable.

While some are successful because they are lucky, most people get to where they are because of consistent, long-term, hard work. And those who fail, often do so merely because they give up. They stop their career "car" half-way on their journey, and wonder why they haven't reached their destination.

An interesting way to characterize failure is to use the word "yet". "I haven't been promoted" is a phrase that says failure. "I haven't been promoted... yet" says something completely different: your goal is in the process of being realized. I haven't reached my quota... yet. I haven't got my university degree.. yet. I haven't started a family... yet. And so on.

This week's action item: Consider your career goals, and choose one item where you have not YET achieved success. What are the specific tasks that you need to do, on a continual basis, to achieve this goal? Calendarize them, and get going. Remember: People don't fail, they give up.

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Copyright © 2006 Knowledge to Action Press and Randall Craig. All rights reserved.

Publication Date: August 15, 2006