Management
Decide on just one thing to succeed--by Ron White
What do people like A R Rahman, Sachin Tendulkar, and Abhinava Bindra have
in common: their passion about just one thing they focus on.
"Everybody I know says that they need just one thing...what they really
mean is that they need just one thing more.", says Rich Mullins (Singer/Songwriter).
Elizabeth Taylor after her 7th marriage had this to say: "the trouble is
not getting the man that you want, the trouble is wanting the man once you
get him!".
Look at the success of the Interstate Department Store. Also take a look
at Toy's R Us. The success of Toy's R Us occurred when they chose to focus
on ONE THING - toys. How about 7UP? In the late 1970s, they had a 7.5% market
share with one flavor of cola drink. Then they couldn't resist the lure
of line extensions and before you knew it they had several flavors and a
market share of 2.5%.
The lesson is - if you attempt to become everything to all people 根ou
will surely only succeed in becoming nothing to everyone. In your personal
life, you know the temptation. You know the temptation of always desiring
what is on the other side or what you don't have. So you drop what is in
your hand to grab something else - only to later wish you could have what
you used to hold. This analogy could pertain to relationships, where you
live or even a career.
The trick to life is not getting what you want. It is wanting it once you
get it. The challenge is to focus on one thing. If a man has five or six
great ideas to make money, no one knows what will succeed for him. But,
in our heart we know that none of them will succeed because he can't select
ONE THING and focus on it. Therefore, all his ventures may be doomed.
There is something to be said for the power of focus. In business, remember
that IBM used to own the word computer. They no longer do and part of that
is because they got into every business you can think of. Toys R Us owns
ᴯys⻠FEDEX owns the word 'overnight'. It is about ONE THING when it comes
to branding.
In life, you may not find contentment by bouncing from one situation to
the next. That will only come when you are able to rest and focus on ONE
THING. Decide what is important to you and focus on that ONE THING for a
successful business or life. Yes, there will be rough roads - but be sure
that the answer is not in the other hand.
Action Points
- Examine your life and ask yourself if you are focused.
- Ask yourself what you could eliminate in your life that is simply
a distraction.
- Question your desires to see if they are only a result of wanting
what you don't have or a genuine issue that you are willing to make
your long term focus.
- Remember the lesson of Toys R Us - Line extensions don't ensure more
success....focus does.
Quotes
of the Month
Self-Limiting
Beliefs
"He
who conquers others is strong; he who conquers himself is mighty."
-- Lao-tzu
"There
is nothing that can stop you from getting to the top of your field --
except yourself."
-- Brian Tracy
"Think
‘impossible’ and dreams get discarded, projects get abandoned,
and hope for wellness is torpedoed. But let someone yell the words ‘It's
possible,’ and resources we hadn't been aware of come rushing in
to assist us in our quest. I believe we are all potentially brilliant
and creative -- but only if we believe it, only if we have an attitude
of positive expectancy toward our ideas, and only if we act on them."
-- Greg Anderson
"It
is not what you are that holds you back; it is what you think you are
not."
-- Denis Waitley
|
