Everyone would like to win a trophy but reality is that in a competitive world, only the deserving win it. Yet, if you look at winning personal trophies in a different way, it is possible for everyone to win a trophy for herself/ himself. To win a personal trophy, one must aim to merely improve one’s own self every day, a little bit. Cumulatively the daily improvements would add up to a significant reality that you will then value and cherish. That is exactly how all trophy winners end up standing on the podium with their trophies. As an individual you create your own podium, establish your own parameters of improvement and relish holding the trophies that you aimed for.
The key to winning those trophies lies in the quality of practice that you put in, which in turn will determine the significance of the improvement you make and the trophies in the form of successes are merely a reinforcement of what you already know; that you are a winner.
The best way to ensure that you practice effectively comes from observing the following
Having a goal – Without a goal there would neither be focus nor a motivation. So fixing up a goal, no matter what aspect of life it is for, holds the first key to success. When you fix a goal, it is obvious that you have thought through it carefully, matched it with your own personal abilities and desires and most importantly value it. A goal is not a mere statement of intent but a dream that you wake up to every moment. E.g. you dream of representing your class team. Then you scale it up to representing the school team. Progressively you scale it up.
Clearly outlining the action plan – Every goal must be accompanied by an action plan to attain that goal. The action plan includes the amount and quality of commitment that you are prepared to make, the time frames to achieve the desired progress, the measures to determine the progress. E.g. to represent your school team you will need to put in certain amount of practices time, a certain amount of physical and mental exercise and you take responsibility for achieving those targets.
Being disciplined – The goal and the action plan become irrelevant unless one has the discipline to follow the commitment made. The problem with self discipline is that we set out our targets and we have to ensure we stick to it without any external supervision. The danger here is that we tend to lower our own standards, slack when it is convenient, rationalize our tardiness and yet expect to improve. While raw talent always has an edge when compared to those who have to work hard to do better, in the long run it is the individual who believes in herself/ himself and gives that extra something through sheer self discipline that will hold that trophy.
Making sacrifices – Self discipline always comes with one having to make sacrifices. This is because time is always at a premium. Everyone has to make the best use of the 24 hours a day. So the person who sacrifices sleep, gives up leisure, avoids temptations, puts in that extra hour of practice who will see the results faster. E.g. in any sport the physical discipline is what brings in the stamina, the perfection of the technique, the ability to cope with pain etc. and so there can never be a compromise on physical fitness even if the individual has to compromise on many other alternatives.
Being persistent – Often times one cannot really visualize the improvements despite the hard work and discipline. That is when one needs to believe in one’s self and persist with faith and hope. Never falter in your belief nor slack in your determination. Simply plod along even when the horizon seems distant or the effort seems super human. With each passing day you will get a feeling of having won one more trophy simply because you did not give up. The fact that you are improving is a huge bonus that comes with the effort.
Relishing every success – The biggest problem of losers is that they never realize or appreciate the numerous victories that they have earned. They get so focused on noticeable trophies that come with recognition and applause that they forget that every small improvement they have achieved is a victory in itself. E.g. a student who is just passing his exam but with hard work manages to improve her/ his scores in each successive exam has just won a trophy every time she/ he improves the marks. Standing first or scoring 100% may be way beyond the personal abilities but doubling their marks is a major achievement.
Try these:
What are the two things you always wanted to attempt but never dared to? Make one of these a goal and aim to achieve it before the end of the year. Every effort you do towards that goal should be seen as a victory when you inch closer to your goal.
What area of your personal life needs improvement? E.g. financial / academic / professional / personal development/ social interaction etc. Choose one or two such areas and have an action plan to make a difference that you feel in yourself over the next 6 months.
This post is courtesy www.actspot.com
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