The Super Achievers

The Winners Code
GEORGE CHIGARANDE | Monday March 3, 2008 00:00

Some live long but achieve little, and yet some live relatively short lives but achieve much. Martin Luther King Jr did not even live to be forty but his influence still lives on. What does it take to be a super achiever?

Are there any traits that separate the super achievers from the rest? Studies show that the top 1 percent in every field of human endeavour and in every nation shares certain characteristics.

These are the qualities of the super achievers. Success is not new and it is largely a matter of pursuing proven strategies and internalising appropriate habits.  Here are the traits of the super achievers.

Ardent Ambition and strong Self Belief
In the entire history of mankind, rarely has anything of note been achieved in the absence of a fervent ambition.

Not failure but low aim is the nemesis of human achievement. The best do not become the best by an act of divine intervention. They always begin with the belief that they are capable of becoming the best. They expect to become the best and they continuously challenge themselves to be the best.

John F Kennedy and Tiger Woods have many differences. One was white, the other is black. One was a politician and the other a golfer. However, they shared a common motto-'Always be first because second place is already defeat.'
Beliefs shape actions, and actions in turn determine results.

The great tragedy in our society is that so many of us devalue ourselves and labour under inferiority complexes. These translate into tame actions and low ambitions, which in turn breed a community of underachievers. Our results will always be in direct proportion to our self-belief and ambition.

Courage bordering on reckless boldness.
If there is anything that holds people back it is a lack of courage. The average people seek security and they find it in their comfort zones. However, the super achievers seek opportunities and sometimes, but not always, they find them in perilous and tempestuous challenges.

In the face of adversity the super achievers confront their fears.
Courage is not the absence of fear and danger, but learning to execute actions competently in the presence of those two impostors. Courage is the midwife that delivers greatness. Neil Armstrong was not alone in harboring an ambition to set his foot on the moon, but only he and his team had the courage to actually attempt it.

The courage to act in the presence of fear, uncertainties and doubts is what will give your dream a chance.

Intense Dedication, Commitment and Enthusiasm
People that make it into the top 1 percent in every field are intensely committed to the cause. They endeavour to know the issues better than anyone in the field. They are totally sold out.

They believe in themselves, believe in their products, believe in their methods, and believe in their teams and in their companies. It is because of this commitment, passion, enthusiasm and dedication that they create a presence which can be felt. Secondly, their commitment triggers an electric-like discharge that is transferred to everyone who works on the team.

They love what they do, and also do what they love. Winston Churchill, Michael Jordan, Pele, Isaac Newton and all great achievers were all men of great dedication.
They are also people of great personal discipline.

They are exact and thorough in what they do because exactitude in little matters is the very soul of discipline. They are mindful of the fact that there is a place for everything, and there is a time for every business.

By continuously doing every business in its time and putting every thing in its rightful place they cultivate the habit of order which is an essential ingredient for success.

They are masters of preparation
To make it to the top requires additional efforts. It calls for doing things differently. It demands doing things the average person detests doing and most importantly making sacrifices that the average person is not willing to make. In sales, it requires reviewing every detail of every sale before hand.

 
In sports it entails doing thorough mental rehearsal before every meeting and every game. It requires doing your home work thoroughly, and understanding the eternal truth that homework does not end with school days.

They are personally responsible
The most successful people appreciate that they are personally responsible for what happens in their lives. The buck stops with them.
They view themselves as presidents of their lives.

To borrow the words of Brian Tracy, 'You are the president of your own career, your own life, your own pay cheque, your own finances and your own health.' The biggest mistake we can ever make is to think that it depends on someone else.
Over the long haul what you earn does not depend on the goodwill of someone else or your company.

You are responsible for your motivation and for your personal development. You are responsible for your happiness and for your tears too.
From the outset, the super achievers have a strong sense of personal responsibility and ownership. They appreciate that they are in charge of the present as well as the future.
This week elevate your sense of personal responsibility to a new level.
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