“Do one thing at a time and do that one thing as if your life depended upon it.”
Eugene Grace
It’s July and we’re already halfway through the year! As usual, it’s flying by way too fast. All of your good intentions to achieve new things this year may have already faded. Come on! I’m here to tell you it’s not too late to act. At times like this, I always remember the line from the classic movie, City Slickers.
“You know what the secret of life is? One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don’t mean squat.” — Curly, City Slickers
I was in the South African Army way back when I was 18 years young. No, I never volunteered. Back in the 70s and 80s, there was two years compulsory service for most males. I got drafted into the 7th Infantry Battalion. Basic training was three months of hell. As with most military training, they do their best to break you down physically and mentally to see how you respond under extreme pressure. Your ability to survive basic training is directly related to your past-life experiences.
I was lucky enough to have a few friends from my school doing basics at the same training facility as myself. After attending an all-boys boarding school, where we played rugby and went on numerous survival and wilderness training courses, my friends and I coped better than most. Each of us had different strengths we had developed during our rather tough upbringing.
I soon realized that my strength was my ability to endure stress and discomfort for long periods of time. I processed suffering as a challenge. My previous business partner referred to it as my “tenacity.” The harder things got, the stronger I became. Interestingly, Giorgio Armani mentions tenacity as one of his great strengths too:
“I don’t have a formula to pass on. I always did it my own way. Even today, I hold my independence close. It’s what’s most precious to me: Passion, Risk, Tenacity, and Consistency. This is my professional history.” — Giorgio Armani
My tenacity gave me the courage to travel around the world alone with virtually no money; become an entrepreneur; open numerous businesses in multiple countries; run triathlons and Ironman events; climb challenging mountains; and foolishly swim across crocodile infested rivers. Hey! I was young and someone bet me I couldn’t do it.
To my credit, I figured out early what my ONE THING was, and I leveraged it to my advantage. My competitors know that to beat me, they will have to outwork me, and the tougher it gets, the tougher I get! For three years of my life, I worked 365 days a year to get my business off the ground. Trust me, it wasn’t fun, but in the end, my businesses were all successful. Failure is not an option, as long as I can take action.
So, tenacity is my ONE THING. What’s your ONE THING? Figure it out now and make it your competitive advantage. Then watch your life change forever!
Enjoy your Summer. It’s going to rock!
Ralph
