I'm sure, at some point in our lives, we have all heard the faint
voice of doubt at the back of our minds saying - It's done... I've failed...
I'll try again next time... Maybe tomorrow... I can't do it... and so on... At
the same time, there's an even fainter voice that says - Maybe one more time. Henry
Ford depicts this scenario perfectly in his famous quote: "If you think
you can... If you think you can't... Either way - you're right."
This blog post has been pending in my mind for quite some time now.
Only recently did it occur to me that if I keep waiting for the perfect
conditions - to write the perfect piece on willpower - it may never be written.
Procrastination is indeed the thief of time - and in this case, the thief of
blog posts. In the famous words of Pearl Buck, "I don't wait for moods.
You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get
down to work." And all of a sudden I decided to give my take on this very
important nugget on success – Willpower.
Willpower is simply the difference between action and inaction. Have
you ever thought of doing something then suddenly you realize your plan may be
a little more farfetched than you initially thought. In this case, fear is the
only thing stopping you from holding on with conviction to attain that which you're
willing to strive for.
Some may call this the fear of failure - why try when you're going to
fail anyway... Right?!? Wrong. Someone very wise said, don't' try. Just do it.
Start by stating to yourself, with true conviction, your plans and then
following through by making a plan and applying the steps - one at a time. The
mistake so many people make is attempting to convince others of their plans and
having to ask for permission to bring their dreams to reality. Unfortunately,
not everyone is blessed with an ever-present supporting cast constantly
chanting - You can do it!!! Go for it!!! You're the best!!! You can't fail? And
so on…
The bottom line is until we can come to a place in life where we become
our primary and most influential cheerleader, we will always be hindered from
reaching our true potential. When others are exhausted and saying, "it's a
wrap." You, on the other hand, KNOW it's not over yet. That's willpower.
This is the purpose of willpower. Gradually building your mental toughness up
to a point where you trust your capabilities. You refuse to believe that you
are inadequate, that you’re unequipped… Refuse to give up.
One of my all-time favorite motivational quotes, stated in various
versions by many greats including Churchill, Edison, Coelho, and many others,
"You're never failing once you're trying... You're only failing when
you're failing to try." You build mental toughness, grit, resilience,
persistence, willpower by trying again. Believing in yourself that if you think
you can then it is truly possible. Even when everyone else says it's over, it
can't be done, failure is inevitable… There's that ever-present voice of
conviction saying it's possible.
It could be academics, entrepreneurial goals, sports, athletics, life
in general... Build that belief in possibilities... possibilities in your
capabilities that you can do it. Even when others in your shoes would have
thrown in the towel, you will look ahead with conviction and say I promise to
be the last man standing when the smoke settles... I promise to adopt the
mentality of a champion and not give up regardless of how bleak the surrounding
evidence is... That is willpower. The mindset of gods to never give up and
believe in one's self… Against all odds.
