What does it take to succeed?
What has it taken for me to succeed in the endeavors I have undertaken?
I owe much of my confidence and belief in my abilities to sports such as soccer, tennis, and basketball. Challenging myself athletically - as well as calisthenically - when at the beginning of one summer I could only do 4 pull-ups and by the end of that summer through consistent progress I ended up maxing out at 18 pull-ups, proved a great feat of goal setting for me. For me it always comes down to goal-setting.
Setting goals is what dictates progress, and my progressive improvements reinforce the possibility for turning the ideal into reality. I have witnessed many not try because they do not know how to set themselves up for the small feats of success which later lead to success in the grand scheme of things. As a result of such inhibitions, one is left fearing failure much more than desiring the emotions that accompany accomplishment. Such belief system is based on one's lack of confidence in believing that they can accomplish whatever it is they set their mind to.
The value we receive from accomplishment, to some it is the greatest feeling in the world. It is the quintessential victory of self. And of knowing thyself. Without the feeling of failure, we would not know what winning feels like. And without the process of failure, we would not know the ways in which to succeed. I have yet to learn from any of my successes. All of my learning has the been the result of my many failures. Failure precedes success.
The faster you fail, the quicker you will succeed. Small victories here and there led me to bigger victories over time, and this too was the case for basketball whereupon I would consistently commit myself to not leave the court until I met the goal of making 5 three-pointers in a row from the perimeter followed by 10 free-throws in a row from the foul-shot line. No matter how far-fetched my ability to accomplish that specific objective felt at each moment in time, it taught me that always in the end, all it ever takes is concentration and perseverance. I would concentrate my mind and end up accomplishing the task -- a challenge that felt so doable and yet so far fetched. This is what I mean by concentrating the mind.
The longer it took me to succeed, the greater the success felt. And whence I finally did succeed I would always be reminded that all it ever takes is some Heart and continual persistence until FINALLY, the results manifest themselves at just the right time. And sometimes these goals manifested themselves -- I’m not sure how; it felt outside of myself. Because the feeling of my beingness felt the exact same 1 minute ago when I had just failed, and yet just one more time - and one more time - and yet another time - and again, at once the tide of success was bestowed upon me and my goal came to fruition. This too was the case each time I would juggle a soccer ball whereupon I'd commit myself to accomplish 100 juggles in a row, entrapping myself from leaving until I accomplished the task at once. Such abilities to accomplish such goals opens the exit gates for one to leave as a champion; on a high-note; with a sense of achievement. The subconscious and psychological effects this has one one's state of mind is what builds a "can-do" attitude of self-belief, confidence, and faith over time.
To leave with your last moment being an accomplishment - whether that means a swish on the court or a beautiful backhand struck across the wall or that last kick of the ball in the air giving notching you your 100th in a row -- this has a psychological effect whereupon you have solidified yourself from that moment onward as accomplished. Subconsciously this has an unseen effect of “I know I can”. And oft times that’s all it takes - is some confidence. Sometimes, that can be the difference between why one person achieves success in life and another doesn't. Through trial and error, chance and persistence, confidence is bestowed. And though I am not yet a success in what I deem as ultimate "life success”, just like these consistent exercises of hard-work and perseverance I realize that I can accomplish the grand portrait of success I envision in my mind.
