Mentor Vs Gut instinct
Outside Consultant Vs Insider knowledge
Fresh faced (inexperienced) enthusiasm Vs Seasoned old pro (experienced)
Tony Robbins Vs 8 year old ‘Holly’ from Liverpool
?
These are questions, I am pretty darn sure, you have pondered in the past.
OK, maybe not the last one (Unless you watched “The World According To Kids” last night on the BBC).
I am also sure that as an open minded person in search of improvement and growth that you’ve invested quite a bit of your valuable time learning, listening and paying for advice in order to get you closer to your personal and professional dreams.
Well, me too. I am all for personal improvement and whole heartily subscribe to the philosophy of a lifetime of learning.
A few years ago I would take the micky out of people who looked to the likes of Tony Robbins, Jim Rohn or Napoleon Hill for guidance.
I was different you see, I would make my mark with pure desire, natural skill and flair.
I am supremely glad to say that I saw the light some time ago and recently had to buy a larger bookshelf to accommodate my ever growing library of books (and yes, there’s quite a few by Tony Robbins, Jim Rohn and Napoleon Hill in there!).
So what’s my point?
I can ramble a bit when I am passionate about something so sorry however, I was watching the aforementioned “The World According to Kids” last night and have to share a wonderful and inspiring nugget on perseverance and attitude (getting nearer to the point I promise!).
If you haven’t seen it it’s a documentary about different groups of children across the UK and how they cope with life’s challenges and see the world in general.
Psychologists introduce several group exercises including classical moral dilemmas like ;
What would your choice be if you found a load of cash?
Choices ;
1) Inform the police
2) Walk away
3) Share it between the group
or
ALL the group can have a carrot .
or
Half the group can have lollipops whilst the other half get nothing.
What’s your choice and why?
It’s brilliant, check it out.
Last night there was an 8 year old girl from Liverpool called Holly.
She is cheeky and a keen member of a choir and Korean Martial arts class.
She is going for her Martial Arts’ brown belt (the next level up from her current belt of red) so has to learn some new techniques and skills to impress her teacher for the exam to get the new belt.
According to Holly, when she has a new challenge she feels
“scared and nervous” but also “a teensey, teensey, teensey bit excited!”
She goes on to say;
“Practise is important when you are trying to achieve something.”
Then….
“When you want a new belt and you don’t get it, it doesn’t really matter. All you have to do is carry on, do it again, and again, and again if you have to.
Do it eight thousand times if you have to.
Do it a quizillion times if you have to!”
Holly says this one-to-one in front of the camera in an honest and heartfelt matter of fact way that she feels is right (not like some of the comments from kids when they are in groups or in front of teachers and are clearly just regurgitating what they have been told to say by parents or what they think is what people want to hear).
There was some incentivising from Holly’s mother with the promise of a Jammie Dougnut should she achieve her new belt, however, most of this philosophical gold was straight from a source of pure determination to succeed.
And finally to the point.
You can read, listen and learn from people that have been there and done it and can experience lessons first hand from your own mistakes and trials however, sometimes, if you’re open, you’ll discover clear and fundamental truths everywhere even from 8 year old children.
Practise and perseverance are key to successfully achieving any goal and we all get knocked back.
I found myself getting slightly annoyed at a company director yesterday for not going ahead with a deal that I believed was superb for everyone.
Holly would say; “Suck it up Olly, try again and again and again and then again!”
So, absorb your business gurus words of wisdom, invest in your own development and enhance your skills but remember…….
.
..Do it a quizillion times if you have to and don’t forget to reward yourself with a Jammie Dougnut when you finally get there!
Oliver Pimblett
Managing Director
P.S. Link to BBC iPlayer below if you want to chexck it out;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/