The formula for failure
Sep 21, 2016I just got off a call where we were talking about a program we’ve been running for a number of years, and how when we changed the access to the program and made it easier for people to enroll, the number of people taking the program dropped significantly.
You’d think it would be the other way round wouldn’t you?
But it’s a fact, in certain circumstances, if you make it more expensive or more difficult to access, people will value it more because they see it as more ‘special!’
I remember buying a load of stuff from Nightingale Conant years ago, and because I bought a certain amount I got 2 old programs of Jim Rohn for practically nothing.
Because I hadn’t paid full price for it, I didn’t value it. As I didn’t value it, I didn’t want to waste any time on it, so I didn’t listen to it!
I had it on my book shelf for AGES!
Then, one day, I don’t know what prompted it, but I put one of the DVDs in and watched the first video.
It was from the 80s I think, really dated. I decided to stick with it and not turn it off after the first minute.
I’m so glad I did.
‘The formula for success,’ he said, ‘is really simple .. just a few acts of self discipline .. practiced daily .. over a reasonable period of time.
‘Just a few .. not even really that many. Just a FEW acts of self discipline .. practiced daily. And from one day to the next, nothing really happens .. but it’s when you bring in TIME that it really becomes magical.’
Wow .. I was scribbling notes and drawing diagrams. This was good stuff!
‘The formula for failure is just as simple!’ he said. Just a few errors in judgement .. practiced daily .. over a reasonable period of time. Just a few .. not even really that many .. just a FEW errors in judgement .. practiced daily. And it doesn’t look like those errors in judgement would do any REAL harm, one day to the next .. but it’s when you bring TIME in that it seals your fate!’
That simple formula for success and failure has stuck with me for years. It has helped me tremendously. But I almost missed it because I didn’t value the program it was in, because I didn’t pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars for it.
The other DVDs were packed with similar gold. It was right there the whole time. Right under my nose, but I nearly missed it because I wouldn’t see it.
People often say 'no one is ever a Guru in their home town'!
And I think there is some wisdom in that quote .. but that doesn’t mean that you have to travel to the other side of the world to find the truth! Truth is not more true because it comes from miles away or is harder to come by!
Sometimes things are right there all the time, right under our nose, but we don’t see them because we’re busy chasing other expectations.
Maybe everything we need is always right here, right in front of us .. we don’t need to chase miles to try and find it .. we just need to open our eyes and acknowledge it.
You’d think it would be the other way round wouldn’t you?
But it’s a fact, in certain circumstances, if you make it more expensive or more difficult to access, people will value it more because they see it as more ‘special!’
I remember buying a load of stuff from Nightingale Conant years ago, and because I bought a certain amount I got 2 old programs of Jim Rohn for practically nothing.
Because I hadn’t paid full price for it, I didn’t value it. As I didn’t value it, I didn’t want to waste any time on it, so I didn’t listen to it!
I had it on my book shelf for AGES!
Then, one day, I don’t know what prompted it, but I put one of the DVDs in and watched the first video.
It was from the 80s I think, really dated. I decided to stick with it and not turn it off after the first minute.
I’m so glad I did.
‘The formula for success,’ he said, ‘is really simple .. just a few acts of self discipline .. practiced daily .. over a reasonable period of time.
‘Just a few .. not even really that many. Just a FEW acts of self discipline .. practiced daily. And from one day to the next, nothing really happens .. but it’s when you bring in TIME that it really becomes magical.’
Wow .. I was scribbling notes and drawing diagrams. This was good stuff!
‘The formula for failure is just as simple!’ he said. Just a few errors in judgement .. practiced daily .. over a reasonable period of time. Just a few .. not even really that many .. just a FEW errors in judgement .. practiced daily. And it doesn’t look like those errors in judgement would do any REAL harm, one day to the next .. but it’s when you bring TIME in that it seals your fate!’
That simple formula for success and failure has stuck with me for years. It has helped me tremendously. But I almost missed it because I didn’t value the program it was in, because I didn’t pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars for it.
The other DVDs were packed with similar gold. It was right there the whole time. Right under my nose, but I nearly missed it because I wouldn’t see it.
People often say 'no one is ever a Guru in their home town'!
And I think there is some wisdom in that quote .. but that doesn’t mean that you have to travel to the other side of the world to find the truth! Truth is not more true because it comes from miles away or is harder to come by!
Sometimes things are right there all the time, right under our nose, but we don’t see them because we’re busy chasing other expectations.
Maybe everything we need is always right here, right in front of us .. we don’t need to chase miles to try and find it .. we just need to open our eyes and acknowledge it.
Until next time ..
Don't miss my new Speaking360º weekly newsletter!
Communicating is not just about words. We need to think about our body language, tone, and pacing. How we feel impacts the way we speak. Struggling to find the right content makes us ineffective. Great speakers know that becoming an exceptional speaker isn't just an art - it's a process with many essential elements.
Every Sunday evening Roddy sends out his Speaking360º newsletter, an action packed and inspirational article filled with tip + tricks you can start to use right away!
We hate SPAM. We will never sell your information, for any reason.
Author + Owner of SpeakerPro.com
