| How about that for a provocative question! I'm sure | | | | the prestige and respect that comes with it and of |
| your immediate answer is "Of course!" But many | | | | course, the good salary seemed very appealing. But it |
| people who answer in this way simply aren't really | | | | requires endless hours of hard work and continual |
| serious about achieving success. Let me explain. | | | | development and this reality is far less appealing. |
| Recently, I had dinner with my best friend. I hadn't seen | | | | 3. The man's father is paying for the course. He |
| him for a while as he is currently training to be a | | | | knows he can take as much time as he wants |
| commercial pilot. During dinner, we discussed the | | | | because his father will pay for the extra study and the |
| importance of having complete focus on achieving | | | | retaking of exams. As he isn't paying for his own |
| success. | | | | studies - and for his own mistakes - he doesn't have |
| In my own case, I wanted to run an Internet business | | | | the focus and urgency that comes when you spend |
| and this meant giving up my full time job so I could | | | | your own money. In other words, failing isn't painful |
| focus on learning the necessary skills and have the | | | | enough for him. |
| time to develop and run my business. The process has | | | | 4. Easily distracted. Instead of doing extra study after |
| required me to invest lots of time, lots of hard work | | | | classes, the young man surfs the Internet. He's a keen |
| and sacrificing a lot of other activities in my life to | | | | sports fan and spends hours on the web looking at |
| concentrate fully on developing my websites. | | | | sports sites. They are wasted hours, hours that won't |
| For my friend, his determination to become a pilot has | | | | take him any nearer to becoming a pilot. This distracts |
| required an investment of around $100,000 to date. He | | | | him from the task at hand, as does: |
| too gave up his job to pursue his dream and he also | | | | 5. Inviting his girlfriend over every weekend. Instead of |
| gave up his girlfriend. He has studied in 3 countries and | | | | working, studying or flying at the weekends, he spends |
| has studied very hard, day and night, to attain the | | | | it instead with his girlfriend. They go shopping together, |
| necessary skills and qualifications. | | | | they watch movies together, they dine out and you |
| Conversely, we discussed how many people say they | | | | can guess the rest! My friend tried to point out to him |
| want success but aren't really serious about it. A case | | | | that he was wasting weekends he could use to get |
| in point is a young man my friend encountered on a | | | | more hours in. He was met with the reply "Yes, but my |
| course in Oklahoma. He too was studying to become | | | | girlfriend wouldn't be happy about that, we have to see |
| a pilot but was struggling to reach the required | | | | each other" Despite my friend saying they could spend |
| standard. Despite having the ability, the young man | | | | lots of time together AFTER he'd qualified, the young |
| failed his tests twice and my friend highlighted the | | | | man still invites his girlfriend for weekends - and has |
| following reasons. As you read, see if any apply to | | | | recently failed a third test. |
| you:- | | | | If you are to achieve the success you really want, it |
| 1. Heart isn't in it. He left university and didn't have a | | | | requires total focus. You must be prepared to give it |
| clear idea of what he wanted to do. His father had | | | | your full attention and be 100% committed to your |
| found a pilot's course whilst surfing the Internet and | | | | projects. It must become the number one priority in |
| mentioned it to his son. Thinking that becoming a pilot | | | | your life. |
| would make his family proud, he signed up. He isn't | | | | So, are you REALLY serious about YOUR success? |
| doing it for himself. | | | | Until next time. |
| 2. Sold on romance: The thought of being a pilot with | | | | |