Achieving Success (Through The Eyes of a Boater)

You know, if it weren’t for need of accomplishments, being successful wouldn’t be so hard.

Growing up, and even now, I enjoy watching boats going about their business on the water.  Some days the water is calm, no wind, and the tides slack leaving the boats to go wherever they please at whatever pace they want to set, reaching their targets with ease.  On other days though, things get pretty interesting.  Boats struggling in every way imaginable, with some it being very hard to reach their destination and others their original destination being impossible to reach.

Everybody loves the nice days in life.  We hang on them knowing that all we have to do is ease along and we’ll accomplish many things.  Nice isn’t it.  The sad truth is that most people work and train for only those days.  When the rough days come along, much like the boat that is unprepared, they flounder and fall upon the rocks.

Successful people understand that most days aren’t ideal.  Most everyday comes with challenges and you must adjust your approach.  Only after understanding that can you still reach your destination.

In sales there are some things you can’t manage.  The biggest among them is time.  Contrary to popular belief, time, in fact, cannot be managed.  We can’t slow it down, speed it up, or get extra.  In life there are no rollover minutes.  What we can do is manage what we do as time ticks ever on.  Success isn’t about what is easy to do or what “feels right at the moment”.  It is about doing what needs to be done.  What should be done.  Always keeping your eyes on the destination, understanding that the course isn’t always a direct line.  Set short goals and always work them.  The destination that is success being the ultimate target.

I thoroughly enjoy offshore fishing.  Every trip has one hazard that is equal to all who go, from recreational guys like me to the professionals who do it for a living.  We all have to successfully navigate the inlet that leads to the sea.  The inlet is full of shoals and sandbars that change with every storm and navigational bouys that haven’t been changed accordingly.  Most, even the professionals, like to do the prudent thing;  leave out at the same time and follow each other through the inlet, with each boat showing the safe passage to the sea for the next boat in line.  This guarantees that all successfully complete that part of the journey and each boat now ready to work towards their individual next goal.

We all find ourselves in uncharted and treacherous waters from time to time.  In those times it is key that we put ourselves with others who have been through those waters and are working towards the same short term goals.

Each of us can have success.  All we have to do is push forward and keep our eyes set on the goals that will take us to what we all want,

SUCCESS.