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The Secret to Success

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Rosemary O’Neill

Success in Life, Business, and Golf

Molly:
That was incredible! That was the shot of the tournament!

Roy:
I just gave away the U.S. Open.

Molly: It doesn’t matter.

Roy:
One time in my life I know
the safe play to hit and I still …,
I still can’t make myself do it.

Molly: It doesn’t matter.

Roy: My whole career, my whole life on the line …
I just made a 12 on the last hole of the Open!

Molly: You sure did. It was the greatest 12 of all time.
No one’s going to remember the Open 10 years from now, who won … but they’ll remember your 12! My, God, Roy, it was…Well, it’s immortal! I am so proud of you!

–Kevin Costner and Rene Russo in the movie Tin Cup.

Perhaps I have golf on the brain this week, since I live just a few miles away from where the PGA Tournament will be played this year. But I’ve always had a soft spot for Tin Cup, Kevin Costner’s movie about a washed up golf pro.

The enduring lesson of Tin Cup is that, sometimes, no matter how crazy you seem to the rest of the world, you’re still doing the right thing for you. After all, Roy gets the girl in the end.

The Secret to Success

In business, as in life, you often have the choice of the easy lay up onto the green vs the risky shot across the water hazard. It might even be in a clutch situation, with everything on the line and crowds of people watching.

The person who wins in that situation is the person who has clearly defined criteria for success. And that might not mean winning the tournament. It might mean getting past fear and going all out in a quest for knowledge.

Fear of failure, fear of looking stupid, these things keep us from going straight at our goals. We tell ourselves that it couldn’t possibly work. Stop worrying about how it’s going to work, and start focusing on what success means to you. See it, savor it, vividly imagine it every morning.

Then pick up your trusty 5 iron and go straight at that hole.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Thank you, Rosemary!

You’re irresistible!

ME “Liz” Strauss

Why You Aren’t “You Living the Dream”

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What is between you and your dreams? Probably one of the toughest questions to ask yourself is, “why am I not living the dream?” Do you foresee yourself starting a business or living a harmonious life in a dream city, what is stopping you? Is it lack of money? Are you waiting for next big break? I have heard every excuse in the book from people who complain about life and out of every 100 complaints, about only 1 of them was valid enough for me to not argue with them.

Nike says it, all successful entrepreneurs live it, and you are avoiding it. Stop hiding from the future and “just do it.” Stop waiting for the moment for everything to be perfect, drop your books and set up an action plan to live your dream. It may take a bit of luck along the way, but hey, the journey is what makes the goal in mind worthwhile. If things came easily, we wouldn’t appreciate anything.

Ask any entrepreneur if they waited for the opportunity to start a business or if they created the opportunity. I bet 99% of them created an opportunity from something they loved. Getting on the bike is the hardest part. Dick Costolo, founder of Feed Buner says, “the key is to just get on the bike, and the key to getting on the bike… is to stop thinking about ‘there are a bunch of reasons I might fall off’ and just hop on and peddle the thing.”

Fear of Sacrifice
We all have to give up something to get to where we want. My entrepreneurial endeavors have taken a major toll on my personal life. Instead of working 8-5 and being able to spend time with friends, I work 8am-1am on my startup. Are you afraid of working hard? I don’t believe in failures, I do believe there are people who aren’t motivated because they haven’t found their calling in life. Putting everything into something we love is worth it… if we truly love it.

Fear of Failure
Are you scared of your dream project failing? If you don’t get behind the wheel you will never give yourself a chance to fail. Michael Jordan was once quoted saying, “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” Putting yourself out there is the sauce to the stew.

Waiting For Everything to be Perfect?
The worst excuses I’ve ever heard are “the time isn’t right.” I hate to break it to you all, but the time will never be 100% perfect. There will not be a solar eclipse moment in time where the planets align, and set your business rolling. To get a successful dream accomplished, takes grind out work in inopportune times.

Keep the dream alive. Whether you are a 40 year-old mother wanting to blog or a an 18 year old college kid with hopes for Mars, the barriers to achieving our dreams are often high, but learning how to overcome barriers, truly changes the world. Our time is precious, so you shouldn’t wait. Draft up an action plan today highlighting what you are doing to live the dream.

Image Credit: Armenian Now

Matt Krautstrunk is a writer and social entrepreneur, touching on topics ranging from social media marketing to postage meters for Resource Nation; and online resource providing purchasing advice for small business owners and entrepreneurs.