Life on the road is always full of new experiences and the chance to build unique memories. As an author and speaker I am blessed to meet a wide variety of people including celebrities ranging from rock stars, Olympic gold medalists, to former professional athletes. I must say that in many instances, these folks are human just like you and me and are often very accommodating when I meet them in the green room before or after my speaking presentation.
With it being football season, I was recently reflecting back on photo taken from last September of me with NFL Hall-of-Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton from a speaking engagement we were both presenting at for a group of financial advisors just north of Indianapolis. Not only was it great to meet and hear him speak, but I can still remember him opening up with a question during his speech that grabbed the audience’s attention as well as mine. Here’s what he said, “Do you really want to know the secret to success? As the room hushed, he answered, “Hard work!”
Now, what I loved about Fran’s question and answer was this: he was spot on! There are no shortcuts on the path to long-term success. Yes, there’s the occasional lightning strike of business success, but it rarely can be maintained unless hard work and focus are added to the equation. In an age of instant gratification, far too many people still believe that success can be bought, sped up and achieved by skipping steps along the way. Here’s the quick 411. It doesn’t work that way. In a complex world, often times the simplest advice is often the most accurate. I have to agree with Fran that hard work is truly the secret to business success!
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