Do Business Well

Life is a numbers game

The more times you step up to bat, the more times you will hit the ball for a six. But you have to be prepared to lose a couple of wickets along the way. In fact, in the game of life, it doesn’t matter how many wickets you lose. What matters is how many times you get back ontothe pitch to face another ball.

Let us ask you this question: How many people do you know whohave the quality of true persistence? Think about those people who endure against all odds, who roll with the punches and come back stronger than ever, who sustain their spirit in the face of defeat and disappointment. Can you think of any? We guarantee you that these special human beings are the people who make all progress happen. They understand that success is a life game with no time outs. They know that true achievement is the result of thousands of everyday efforts that culminate in victory, glory, wealth, contribution and happiness.

Every single day we hear about people suffering from burnout, depression and stress. We hear about people throwing in the towel. We hear people muttering about the state of the nation and the economy. We hear reasons why it can’t be done. We hear stories of impossibility and despair. Well, these are not people in the High Performance Zone. These are not the people who are making it happen. These are not the South African heroes who are edging their way forward inch by inch. These are not the people who have made it this far. These people are not you.

So here’s our warning to you: beware of those who would bring you down. Be vigilant of those who would discourage you from climbing the mountain. They may even mean well. They may even have your interests at heart. But they are not imbued with the spirit of the climber. They live in fear of even trying to explore new territory. Anant Singh, the highly successful film producer and entrepreneur, put it best when he said, “I have faith in my intuition. When I feel that a particular concept has huge potential, I will go with it, despite the doubts and negative feedback of others. I have learnt to have faith in my judgement and not to be infected by the skepticismof others.”

The Lobster Principle: Often, people want to pull others down because it makes them feel more significant

Here’s a humorous story with a lot of truth: Mike recently conducted a workshop in Saldanha Bay on the West Coast. During a break in the session, he went down to the beach where he saw a fisherman taking a tray of lobsters to the market. However, he was carrying a huge pile of lobsters and the tray was very shallow. Mike could see lobsters wouldn’t. “Why?” asked Mike. “Because”, replied the fisherman, about to climb out the tray. The fisherman shouted back that they climbing over each other as they tried to escape the tray.

Mike shouted to the fisherman, warning him that the lobsters were “These are South African lobsters. When one climbs up, ten will pull him back down!!” How true is this story??

So here’s our twin message: firstly, don’t let others pull you downin your quest for personal greatness. And secondly, don’t try to pull others down. If you do, you’re the one that will fall the farthest. Never, ever badmouth your competition. It leaves a sour taste in other people’s mouths because they know you could say the same things about them one day.

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