Fiona Harold: La Importancia de la Determinación

‘Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing.’
- Abraham Lincoln



The fifth obstacle on your Path to Success is . . . Lack of Conviction. What stymies your resolution to succeed? What leads to your lack of conviction? Occasionally, there are genuine reasons to give up on something. It may be that, after applying yourself, you no longer want what you thought you wanted, and can walk away with bags of wisdom. Very occasionally, it’s not the right time. I am usually very suspicious of those words, but, very occasionally, it really isn’t the right time, and you may come back to a project at a later, better time.



Fear is the killer of many an endeavour, and, if left unchecked, will undermine your momentum and performance. In my son’s boxing circle, they talk of being beaten before you enter the ring, so unseating your opponent before a punch is thrown is vital. Your choice of walk-on music, your corner-team, your strutt and stance are all aimed to unseat your opponent before a punch is thrown.



Motivation is vital. Without very good reasons to keep pushing through, tough times could floor you. I recently asked Robert, an ex-SAS soldier, how he had kept going through the brutal Selection process – motto - ‘We don’t try to fail you, we try to kill you.’ You are on your own, with nobody shouting encouragement - it's just you trying to motivate yourself. The only person forcing you to go through hell is you. This is because soldiers working in isolation must have absolute motivation and must not crack up when behind enemy lines. In one week of the Selection, you will march through the Brecon Beacons for six days, carrying 30lbs worth of kit on your back and on the seventh, you must complete a forty-mile march which must be completed in 20 hours. You average four hours sleep a night.



This is just one week. The process goes on for six months. Why and How would someone do this? Robert’s answer - ‘Because it was the one thing I wanted most in the world. There were times when I wondered if my heart would give out before my head – the physical pain was that intense. But I never stopped.’ Interestingly, he added, ‘I wouldn’t succeed now, because I have other things in my life that are important to me. Then, making Selection was all that mattered.’ Obviously this is an extreme example, but it’s food for thought!



You must be accountable. You must answer for your actions and progress. In publishing, there is a saying that ‘Everyone needs editing.’ It’s absolutely true. And, the better the editor, the better the writer – and writing. I know of writers who switch publishers to follow an editor and I know of one writer who has never written another book since her (legendary) editor died. We all need someone to report into, a chain of command, if you like.
You’ll find more on all of this on my blog and I’d love to hear your thoughts and how you maintain ‘your own resolution to succeed.’ Before that, EXCITING NEWS! I want to give you an OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO ME about whether my new Money-Spinner workshop is for you.
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Fiona Harrold Life Coaching