The sounds of tennis balls being hit really hard, players grunting as they exert maximum effort and spectators basking in the warm sunshine sipping Pimms and nibbling on strawberries and cream!
Yes, it’s Wimbledon again – the oldest tennis tournament in the world and the only major played on grass.
Here’s the thing though – what separates the winners from the contenders at Wimbledon is often the attitude to succeeding or failing.
Did you know that more people are afraid to succeed than they are to fail? There is one big reason for this, and it may surprise you when you learn about it.
When people fail, they can find all kinds of reasons or excuses as to why they failed. Others will even chime in as to why the person failed. They will say things like, “it wasn’t meant to be.” Another common one is, “your heart wasn’t in it.”
When people succeed, however. There are no excuses. The steps they took, worked. Perhaps it was a fluke that it worked. But what if it happens again? Then, there is no way out of it. Failure has an escape plan; success does not.
The reason people are afraid of success is it forces them out of their comfort zone and into the ugly zone. They now have to solidify their game plan and continue on the successful path. They can no longer tell people it can’t be done because they did it. It’s proven.
How do you overcome that fear of success? You plough through it. If you ever saw the movie Caddyshack, Ty tells Danny to “be the ball.” Although a comical reference, it means Danny needs to be one with the ball to play better. You need to be one with your business concept, so to speak.
If you feel as though you can’t repeat the single success you had, think about what it took to get there, in the first place. If you can map out the steps, this can serve as your road map to repeat your success. If you find it difficult to do this, see about hiring qualified people who can help you succeed.
Another way to repeat your success is to realign your belief system. Convince yourself that you are capable of succeeding and use that as the basis for moving forward. Think about all the benefits that are associated with your success. Also, consider what your life would be like without this accomplishment and ask which do you like better.
For many, proving something can be done is enough for them and they move on. If you want to accomplish something, you need to push past this feeling. While it may be true that the thrill of proving it to yourself is gone, there is still more to do to keep the momentum going. Otherwise, you will constantly be chasing new thrills and never fully accomplish any one thing.
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I’m passionate about inspiring people to tap into their unique talents and strengths – to be the best they can be – to fulfill the potential they always knew they had.
If you are interested in performance coaching, try my free 20-minute introductory session. Just respond to this email with your name and what challenges you are having – I’ll then arrange a time and date for us to chat by phone or face-to-face.
Get in touch TODAY by email or call my office on +44 (0)20 8798 3433.
Mark Russell Inspired Performance Coaching – Dedicated to Your Success.
