Are you eating the elephant ... or is the elephant eating YOU?
Certainly there are many ways to greatness, but is there a simple one? The short answer is “yes”, and in this post I would like to introduce you to a proven path that has worked for many of the most successful and accomplished people throughout history, in a variety of professions and specialties.
Best of all, this method of achievement is perfectly designed for busy people with hectic lives. You will learn exactly how to reach your goals and aspirations, without spending every waking moment trying to do so. If this describes you, please read on.
Let’s start with a simple analogy, popularized in a book by Bill Hogan:
“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”
If you’re looking to create greatness in any field of endeavor, first visualize that greatness as an elephant … a big intimidating goal. Whether that means becoming the CEO of your company, the best player on your team or an astronaut … it does not matter. Whatever you aspire to be great at, it is surely a lofty goal.
So how do you get there?
Incremental improvement. Habitual action, or practice, of your particular skill or goal of interest. The Greeks called this “praxis”, which you can learn more about in the free Simpleology course highlighted on my recommended products page.
As the old saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day” and neither will your greatness. It must be developed with small, incremental improvements over an extended period of time. The key is to break down your major goal or task into manageable, bite-sized chunks that you tackle one at a time.
The Slight Edge
As Jeff Olson points out in his book The Slight Edge, the key to success comes down to simple disciplines repeated over time. These disciplines are easy to do … and easy not to do. The cumulative effect is enormous, and that effect is either good or bad.
Example: If you don’t go out for a jog today, you won’t notice a difference in your conditioning. But that simple error in judgement, compounded over time, will destroy your chances of running a marathon (big intimidating goal). Make sense?
So whatever your particular aspiration may be, make a commitment to take one small step toward your ultimate goal on a daily basis. Quite frankly, this “Slight Edge” approach is one of the most powerful ways to create greatness I have ever come across, and it is flexible enough to apply to virtually any goal or task that you have in your life.
Your 5-Step Plan of Action for Greatness
Here is what I suggest that you do next to create greatness in any area of your life:
1) Identify your “elephant” - clearly define your “big intimidating goal”
2) Determine your next step – What is the first, or next, thing you can do to move you toward your desired outcome. This could be taking a 20-minute walk, enrolling in a leadership course, reading each night with your child, etc.
3) Take that next step, and commit – Get in the habit of action and take that next step. Then commit to the process of doing something each day, however small it may seem, that moves you closer to your goal. (note: Simpleology will help you immensely with this)
4) Congratulate yourself (important!) and return to Step 2 – Take a brief moment to pat yourself on the back for taking action, then return to step 2 to determine your next action step.
5) Continue the steps above until your “big intimidating goal” is achieved – It really is that simple. Rinse and repeat steps 2-4 until you’ve achieved, through consistent effort and action, your desired outcome.
This truly is the way to create greatness and achieve any goal you set your mind to. It has worked wonders for countless numbers of high achievers throughout the years, and it will work for you as well.
It is truly one of the simplest, and most effective, ways to greatness available – and it is free for you to use any time you wish.
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