The secret behind effective training (hint it's a virtue)

I receive a lot of newsletters in my inbox. Some I actually take the time to read, others get demoted to the trash with one swift click. One blog that delivers 95% of the time sent through a gem the other day.

Seth Godin wrote a piece entitled The secret of the web. I've included an extract below,

"I discovered a lucky secret the hard way about thirty years ago: you can outlast the other guys if you try. If you stick at stuff that bores them, it accrues. Drip, drip, drip you win.

It still takes ten years to become a success, web or no web. The frustrating part is that you see your tactics fail right away. The good news is that over time, you get the satisfaction of watching those tactics succeed right away."

Can you see where I'm going with this? So whats the secret? put simply it's patience. Training is alot like this. Doing the little things, or what we hate because we know that it will benefit us in the long run. Consistent concerted effort. But it takes time. It takes patience. The quick way is not always the right way, anymore than the cheapest is not always the best.

What do Michael Johnson, Nelson Mandela, Paula Radcliffe, Muhammad Ali, Joe Calzache, Asafa Powell and Lance Armstrong all have in common? They were all ten years or more in the making. At some point they all had a vision and stayed with it until it became a reality. One second at a time, one hour at a time, one day at a time.

I shared Seth Godin's Post with Jonathan Lewis of Industrial Strength London who took it to another level. I'll leave you with his thoughts on the matter,

"Anyway thanks, this email [Blog post] is more useful than perhaps its author intended or suspected it might be........

Every pursuit in/of the universe seems to demand that we have patience if we want sustainable results. There are no exceptions to the rule depending what your time perspective is.

If I become a millionaire in 2 years, continue to make money that I can spend and enjoy over a life time but then on my death it all comes to an end was I a success?

I think perhaps we should be trying to influence as many people as possible within relationships that lasts as long a duration as possible.

Maybe if we can influence beyond the generation we are a part of then we are starting to be successful?"


Patience.