What Do Elton John and Michael Jordan have in Common?
The one CRITICAL FACTOR that separates the high achiever from the low achiever is 'demanding the best from yourself.' In my book, “If You Think You Can!," this is Law #2. Like Michael Jordan and Elton John, demanding greatness from yourself is a key principle when it comes to success. Where do you need to give more than you currently do? Where do you coast when you should be hustling? What 'fundamentals' do you need to review again and again to maintain the competitive edge?
Everything you have right now in your life is a reflection of what you expect to have, and your commitment to it. Aristotle said, “What you expect, that you shall find.” In order to get what you want, you must begin expecting and demanding more from yourself than you currently do. You must begin by raising the bar—the standards by which you hold yourself to.
Just like building a muscle, you wouldn’t lift the same amount of weight indefinitely and expect muscle to grow. Instead, you would increase the weight, placing greater demand on the muscle. This, in turn, would cause the muscle to expand and grow to new levels.
There was a big difference between being interested in a goal and being committed to it. In life, we only get what we must have. If you don’t have to have something, it is unlikely you will take the required action to achieve your particular goal. When a person merely is interested in a goal, rather than committed to it, he is likely to take action only when it is convenient. On the other hand, people who get what they want to make it a habit to do whatever is required—whenever it is required.
You can always distinguish those who are interested from those who are committed. How can you tell? It’s been said that, “interests show up in conversation and commitment shows up in behavior.” A committed person goes from thinking, “It would be nice to have this or that” to “I must — I will — I am totally committed.” And then they go and do!
Go and Do. Unleash Your Greatness Within!
*excerpt from "If You Think You Can!"
About TJ Hoisington:
TJ Hoisington is the bestselling author of If You Think You Can!, The Secret of the Slight Edge, and Return to Robinson Island. He has authored several high-performance training programs focused on personal development, leadership, customer service, sales, and creating thriving cultures. TJ's insights and workshops have been shared with many organizations around the world. (client list) Whether he speaks to audiences of 10 or 15,000 people, his mission is the same: to provide inspiration and tools that help people and organizations unleash their greatness within.
