Home
>
Success
>
Sticktoitivity: Lessons Learned!

Sticktoitivity: Lessons Learned!

Walt Disney coined a special phrase for persistence and determination; he referred to it as sticktoitivity. I reflected upon this recently, because I stumbled across 20 old business cards from previous business ventures and jobs I had been associated with over the last twenty-five years. Those old business cards certainly brought back a museum full of memories and mixed feelings. I had forgotten about some of those jobs that shaped my outlook as I pushed onward and upward. As I look back on all of those opportunities with the benefit of perspective and age, the one benefit I have derived is my own personal understanding of the concept of success and failure.

The majority of people are so petrified of failure that they paralyze themselves into inaction. The Japanese have a fascinating way of looking at success, ?"Fall seven times; stand up eight." A wonderful tribute to sticktoitivity! I have framed this statement for my office because it provides a fitting summary of the most important ingredient to succeed. Perseverance and Commitment.

Life constantly tests us for our level of commitment. As simple as this may sound it is the one ingredient that separates the winners from the losers. The one skill that winners acquire is an understanding that growth is only possible if you have the courage to change what you have been doing, if it is not achieving the result you desire. Sometimes success is learning how to fall and recognizing that from that fall you will learn to grow. And growth is what a fulfilling life is all about.

When I worked as an investment broker many years ago I found that the most successful traders I worked with often lost on 90% of their trades. Yet in spite of this terrible win/loss percentage their investments were incredibly lucrative. Might it be that they knew something about success that the rest of us only pay lip service to? The one comment that I recall these superstars reiterating was that it's not how much you make when you are right but rather how little you lose when you are wrong. Imagine losing on 90% of your trades and still being wildly successful. Imagine if you can, a perspective that says you will be wrong 90% of the time but if you push through you will be wildly successful. That is a fitting example of sticktoitivity!

My best teachers have been my failures. My failures taught me that I was so petrified of failure that unfortunately failure became my focus. Not experiencing failure is quite different than experiencing success. My focus for years was on not experiencing failure?. although I would've argued differently!

The most important lessons that I have learned from successful colleagues are that the road to success is often a path of experiments and tests. If someone is more successful than I am, the only reason this is so is because they have experimented with how to accomplish the objective they desire more often than I have. The inverse is also true, that those who are not successful have been too scared to experiment. My question is, where do you fit in this equation? What experiments have you been holding back on because of fear? How are you going to break the mold and reach your potential?

A good friend of mine has a business that he has worked diligently on for over five years. He knows that his business has the potential to increase sales tenfold. However to do so, he also knows that he has to probably break the mold that got him where he is today, and create a different blueprint. While many would envy his current success, try to imagine the courage it takes to step into the unknown to pursue a level of growth dictated only by the intention that you know it is doable. This is a committed philosophy of perseverance. Sticktoitivity!

Basketball legend Michael Jordan stated it this way in one of his shoe advertisements: "I've missed more than nine thousand shots in my career. I've lost almost three hundred games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed." A fitting tribute to tribute to persistence. Sticktoitivity!

The one thing I can guarantee is that LIFE will test your resolve and commitment. It's the way the universe works. Here are some examples of famous setbacks that demonstrated that they understood "sticktoitivity."

? Decca Records rejected the Beatles claiming they didn't like their sound and guitar music was on the way out.

? Fred Smith the founder of Federal Express received a grade of C on his senior thesis outlining the concept for Federal Express. The professor claimed the idea was not feasible.

? When Thomas Edison was a boy his teacher told him he was too stupid to learn anything.

? F.W. Woolworth got a job in a dry goods store when he was 21, but his employer would not let him wait on customers because he "didn't have enough good sense."

? Western Union rejected the telephone when Alexander Graham Bell offered them the rights of manufacture and distribution. They considered the technology as having too many shortcomings.

? Dr. Seuss was rejected by numerous publishers who claimed that verse and fantasy would not sell.

? A newspaper editor fired Walt Disney because he had no good ideas.

? Winston Churchill failed the 6th grade.

? Steven Spielberg dropped out of high school his sophomore year. He was persuaded to come back and placed in a learning disabled class. He lasted a month a dropped out of school forever.

? Albert Einstein had such poor grades in school that his teacher asked him to quit telling him that "he would never amount to anything."

?"Fall seven times; stand up eight."

Have you ever defined "success" or "failure" on your own terms? I highly recommend doing so. It certainly creates a sense of understanding, focus and purpose in your life. Sometimes success is learning how to fail. Sometimes success is overcoming the obstacles that define failure. Sometimes all you need to succeed is sticktoitivity. The only failure is not learning anything from the experience.

Here's to you standing up on the eighth time!

Sticktoitivity!

Harald Anderson is the co-founder of Artinspires.com a leading online gallery of motivational posters and inspirational posters."When Art Inspires, Dreams Become Realities. His goal in life is to become the kind of person that his dog already thinks he is. motivational posters and inspirational posters.

Ancona limousine airport .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare

In The News:

Recent reports show many common passwords can be cracked in literally seconds. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how to strengthen your passwords.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Iron, a robot that stands 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 154 pounds, combines advanced artificial intelligence with human-like movement and exceptional vision.

Hertz, the rental car giant, recently confirmed that customer information was exposed through a cyberattack on one of its software vendors.

There are a number of features with AirPods you may or may not know about to take your listening experience to the next level. Kurt the CyberGuy explains.

These 35 Chrome extensions have privacy and security concerns. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says to delete them now.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says 329,000 mph fusion rocket promises to be fast, disruptive and enable deep-space missions.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a new autonomous AI is a game changer that also raises privacy risks. Is your data safe?

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says robots and drones are revolutionizing fruit farming with faster picking and smarter handling.

Landmark Admin revises May 2024 cyberattack scope to show twice as many people were affected. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson gives tips to help stay safe from an insurance data breach.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how Yamaha’s hydrogen outboard motor could revolutionize boating with zero emissions.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how to memorialize or remove a deceased loved one’s Facebook account and protect their digital legacy from misuse or scams.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says an Apple Watch saved psychiatrist Amanda Faulkner by detecting deadly leukemia early.

Scammers and fraudsters are increasingly targeting the most vulnerable, especially nursing homes and the personal data of their residents. Kurt the CyberGuy has safety tips.

Infected USB flash drives can spread malware among multiple organizations in ways that can easily bypass traditional security systems.

With a fully automated warehouse system and AI-powered robots, Ocado's Hive picks, packs and delivers grocery store orders in just a few minutes.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Recycling robots are using artificial intelligence to learn how to sort recyclables by recognizing patterns in colors, textures, shapes and logos.

The Reachy 2 robot is designed to be friendly and approachable, inviting natural interaction and is perfect for research, education and experimenting with embodied AI.

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson shares several easy ways to keep your credit cards safe from digital thieves while you're traveling this summer.

Arcturus sets up cameras around the edges of baseball stadiums to capture real-time action and generate a 3D digital clone of the game.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

The CyberGuy explains why healthcare organizations are vulnerable to hackers after there have been a half dozen data breaches this year.

Developed at two California universities, the innovative technology combines brain-computer interfaces with advanced AI to decode neural activity into audible speech.

Sticktoitivity: Lessons Learned!

Success