Habit Forming Through Incremental Success

Turns out, sports fever has taken over and, I, too, have contracted the bug!  Whether watching my beloved Kansas City Royals baseball games, Sporting KC soccer matches, the Summer Olympics or any of numerous other sports options, it’s been fun to become immersed in the competitive spirit!

In fact, last week, my own little MVP (aka, my son, Ian), played in a youth Olympic-type event on the Kansas City delegation’s soccer team.  My dad, Max, and I drove to St. Louis to follow the competition in person.  It was awesome!

On the way there, my dad shared a great philosophical statement with me.  He said,

I’m so glad Ian is playing in this tournament.  As he participates more and more in activities like this, WINNING WILL BECOME A HABIT.

He went on.

Win or lose, each incremental success he achieves will contribute to his overall drive for achievement.

Wow.  Mind blown.  LOVE that!

Now, you need to understand:  My dad is my all-time #1 hero and certainly this concept – the concept of striving for success… of getting up after a loss, dusting myself off, cleaning out the wounds and pushing onward… is the way he and my mom raised me.  Subconsciously, I already knew all of this.  However, hearing him articulate these ideas with such precise language was enormously helpful.

And, really, it’s what we should all go for.  So, take away these three tips for your own career and life:

1. We’re all going to have wins… CELEBRATE them.
2. We’re all going to have failures… LEARN from them, then get back up!
3. Overall, ENVISION SUCCESS… strive for it.

With each success, you incrementally move yourself mentally toward a place where winning is your expectation – and not merely an aspiration.  Winning will become a habit and, ultimately, a foregone conclusion.  Go, Team, WIN!