SOME TIME ago, I had the privilege of interacting with a group of coaches who train management counsellors.
It dawned on everyone that having a goal and pursuing it was not so simple after all. And, that could be the difference between being successful and struggling to succeed.
The group found it challenging to agree on concrete steps to turn a goal into success. All of them seemed to be of the opinion that goals came in different forms, and imposed varying demands, depending on one’s mission. And, that goals evolved in definition and content as one moved along the path to success.
As we explored examples of successful coaches, the analogy of a soccer coach had resonance for the group. A successful soccer coach inspires the players, creates a positive environment and develops confident players, setting the right tone for the team.
Every endeavour, in fact, every individual, organisation or society as a whole, must set a standard to achieve success. It requires a burning desire to acquire the know-how, but more importantly, the impetus to achieve that level of success. And, the coach, counsellor, mentor, guide and leader — whatever one is called — can and should help make that happen.
From a practical perspective, it’s easier wanting to achieve something, more difficult to get there despite being convinced of what will get us there.
Again, in the soccer analogy, it is easier to want to score than to actually score goals.
These management-trainer coaches were au courant (well-informed) with theories that supposedly set and brought structure and trackability into pursuing and achieving one’s goals.
But, in their collective experiences, there was often some bottleneck, contradiction or they seemed to be following, as one put it, “a system based on general principles that might have had positive results in specific instances to guide a course of action towards an intended result”.
The takeaway for the group was that having the right attitude and mindset is critical to achieving one’s goals. Attitude determines a person’s behaviour and conduct. And, back to the analogy, they considered the game of soccer a great teaching tool for players to develop traits that would serve them in life.
Inspirational speaker Tony Robbins says success is 80 per cent psychology and only 20 per cent strategy and tactics.
Often, we get so caught up in skills, systems, outputs and deadlines that we forget to spend time developing the most important part of all — the mind.
What remained on a master screen after the group interactively keyed in and deleted
a whole range of “weather-beaten” ideas of conventional
wisdom were a few basic, but deep thoughts:
BELIEVE in yourself, what you do and those with you, and it will be possible;
TAKE initiatives, act and make things happen;
BE firm, determined. If you fall, get up, but never give up;
BUILD on small things that work well for you and get maximum results;
GO forward together and stronger;
LOOK at the bright side always;
DELIGHT, find pleasure in what you do; and,
SUCCESS isn’t overnight. Keep doing it, improve, grow, be patient but persistent, and reach for your goal!
RUEBEN DUDLEY
Petaling Jaya, Selangor