Monday, April 16, 2012

Breaking Up Bubba

I love a man who wears pink.

So, this past Sunday, as I half-watched, half-listened, and half worked, out of the corner of my eye, Bubba Watson, stole a little piece of my heart.

And then when I started to stalk further into this man's story, he stole a little bit more.

He had six, second place PGA finishes and three Major championships.
And then it happened. He won one of the most prestigious sporting awards of all time - the Masters. As I watched him be adorned with the elusive green jacket, I watched his innocent face fill with emotion. And during his interview, he simply stated, "I never got this far in my dreams."

Isn't that ironic?
No. It is life.
Aren't the majority of our most precious accomplishments ones that we never dream of?

We hear it all the time.
And the Oscar goes to so-and-so.
"Oh thank you, I'd never dreamed I would standing here, blah blah blah."

People never dream and yet they accomplish some amazing successes. They break-up to the next level. Why?

I never dreamed I would be working for Jeffrey Gitomer, speaking at a level where people pay to hear what I have to say, and writing in an e-publication that has hundreds of thousands of readers. No, I never dreamed that. But it happened. So I conclude: dreams are useless. You don't need to dream big to break-up to the next level of success.

Here's what you DO need to break-up to the next level:

1. Talent. It's the raw and impressive talent that you have a sense of ownership over. You know what you excel at. The problem is that most people don't know what their limitations are. If you know you are not good at something, stop wasting your time. Instead, focus on where your talent is, the skills that make others take notice of you, and develop them. Bubba Watson has a golf-given skill. He can drive a ball 194 mph. And he has never had a professional golf lesson in his life. That's talent. Raw talent. What's yours?

2. Persistence. People who reach the next level of success, don't quit - they persist. They push, pull, and fight to continue to grow, to learn, to improve, to gauge, and to accomplish. They understand the short-term and the long-term and their place in that picture and they use persistence to break-up to the next level. They have a level of drive that others may classify as "nuts," (hello, Steve Jobs - thank you for ignoring the doubters, otherwise I would not be writing this on my MacBook Pro), and they don't care, they simply persist; beyond anything.

3. Hard work. Nothing happens until someone acts. Hard work is a common word; with which we all have our own definitions. What I see as hard work, you may not. Let me define "hard work" in my terms to you - working harder than anyone else to improve your own skill set to your personal best. Hard work doesn't necessarily mean being the first to work and the last to leave, it just means working smart and diligently to improve and get better, everyday.

4. Passion. It's a part of life. Passion is a major driver in success. If you don't love and feel a connection with what you are trying to break-up to, you'll never succeed. The person with the heart and passion is the person who will figure out a way to make it happen, because of their love. Love will always find a way, right? RIGHT!

Bubba Watson broke-up. He broke-up in a big way and yet he never got that far in his dreams. What are you breaking up to? Where are your talents, persistence, hard work, and passion leading you? I bet it's to nowhere you have ever dreamed of.

I’m your Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. How may I help you help yourself?

Stephanie Melish, one of the few, hand-selected, Gitomer-Certified Speakers is the ONLY Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista in the world! Stephanie trains, sells, and speaks to companies and associations all over the country. To book Stephanie for your next event, please visit www.GitomerCertified.com or contact the friendly folks at Buy Gitomer via email at hirestephanie@gitomer.com or by calling 704-333-1112.

15 comments:

  1. Loved this blog post. Just when I was second guessing my own attempts as a new blogger!

    ReplyDelete
  2. @Pammustard - thank you. break up to your blog - you have it in you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great article using it today in my staff meeting thank you...

    John Castoro
    President
    ITEX Tri-State

    ReplyDelete
  4. Loved your notation about hard work not always being long hours. Making every minute productive is the differentiation factor. Tom Gavin

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Tom! Hard work is about how you work not how much you work!

      Delete
  5. Loved your article and finding out you are from Troy, Ohio. I started first grade at a school in the country near Troy but grew up mainly in Greenville. My wife is from Piqua and went to Sidney Lehman High School. We live in Columbus now. Congratulations on your success. I look forward to your future articles.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Steve - I know the area well - good to know familiar and genuine buckeyes are reading!

      Delete
  6. Hi Stephanie! I really loved your article! I'm from Cincinnati, Ohio! (GO BEARCATS!...and Skyline!! I read the Gitomer Newsletter every week in my office and this week your article hit so close to home. I always go with the 3 P's...Passion, Patience, and Persistance, it meant so much to see that you have two of those in your "break up to the next level" list. I'm doing something right!! We all love your articles in our office, keep up the great work!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love Skyline! I had to explain the 3-way to an audience in California last week. Thank you for the kind words.

      Delete
  7. Thank you for this eye opening article!! Now I understand why others say I'm "Nuts" or call me a dreamer. And why I am the "ask her...she will find a way to do it" person. I also understand Bubba and I shed a few tears at his accomplishment!

    He was recently interviewed by Piers Morgan and was talking about his Adult ADD. He said that there were times in his life when he was criticized for his extreme distractedness and told he would never amount to anything. I am so pleased to see that he trusted his talent and believed in persistence and hard work and has the passion!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the additional insight on Bubba. It's nice to know he's deserving of the spotlight. And you are NOT "nuts" - go get em!

      Delete
  8. Thanks for sharing the story about Bubba Watson Stephanie, You wrote "Aren't the majority of our most precious accomplishments ones that we never dream of?" It's hard to believe a golfer who enters the Masters never dreamed he would win. God's ways are higher than our ways, his thoughts higher than our thoughts. Our vision and faith are often too small - I'm glad our results and future aren't limited to what I can dream of or imagine. Thanks again, I can't wait to see what's next for you and the the rest of us.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Wendy. I appreciate your comments and I look forward to everything today and tomorrow has to offer for all of us!

      Delete

AddThis