Driven to Achieve

We achieve greatness by striving to be better and never quitting. But is that enough? Is that really all there is to it? No. While our attitude is a key ingredient in our chance of success there are certain things we can not learn or master by ourselves. We need to be Challenged too. Those around us set the bar by which we measure our worth. Who is setting the bar in your life?

If you spar with a partner who always goes easy on you, how will you find your limits? You will not. This is why we always seek to spar with someone who is better than we are or at the least will challenge us in specific ways.

When we lift weights, do we seek out the weakest or least experienced person in the gym? Of course not! Why because they won’t challenge us to lift more or push harder. They won’t be able to help us if we are struggling. We will plateau and never advance to our full potential or goal.

Interestingly when you run a marathon, you are driven from behind by the runners who are better than you, faster than you. You will be impatient, your pace will increase, and your time will be shortened. In other words even being around those who are better than us drives us to do better, achieve more. This is the same reason parents want their children to go to a prestigious school.

This idea that you need something more than yourself to succeed goes against everything the Self-Help Gurus teach, but it is true. Behind every successful person, even Elon Musk, are parents, teachers, mentors or just supportive, challenging friends. Okay, Elon Musk might be the exception!

Understanding this may help you to succeed if you listen. Look at the people you surround yourself with and ask yourself if they are helping or hurting your success. Are they positive or negative influences? If you look at the most striking success stories they revolve around someone who has rejected the negative and gravitated to the positive people urging them on.

Don’t have any illusions though, this is not a shortcut to success. The work is all yours. The challenges you have to overcome and that is where your attitude and drive become assets. Continue to challenge yourself, keep your attitude positive and drive constant so when an opportunity or a supporting hand comes along you are ready to grab it!

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