Believe It

You can go beyond your current situationin fact, more than you ever imagined is within your

reach because its within you. All it takes is the right attitude. To maintain that attitude, celebrate every victory. Make each one special, because small victories are living proof that you can accomplish things, and they lead to even greater triumphs.

Recently Ive had several major achievements, including getting an article published in The Wall Street Journal and having my books published by prominent companies. While these achievements are important, theyre no more significant than completing a chore, putting my neighbors paper on his porch to get it out of the rain, calling my mom to tell her I love her, resisting temptation , or leading an honest life.

Reread the definition of achievement again. Notice that it contains the words work and effort . Thanks to a great coach, I learned early in life that achieving what I want often has more to do with effort than talent. When I was nine years old, Sarge, my coach, selected me for an all-star baseball team, much to my surprise. I was tall and gangly, and didnt think I was a good enough player to make the team. Sarge explained why he picked me: A player can have great skills, but his talent wont mean much if he doesnt apply himself and get the job done, he said. Id rather have someone on my team who works hard, because I know hes always going to be getting better.

As I look back on my life now, I attribute much of my professional success to my continued willingness to hustle and do whatever is necessary to get the job done. Procrastination never became an issue for me because Ive been clear that I can get what I want simply by working at it. Today, anytime I have difficulty with something, whether its lowering my golf handicap or memorizing a new keynote speech, I remind myself that I can achieve it when Im ready to invest the time and effort needed to complete the task. Thanks, Sarge, for teaching me such a valuable lesson.