P.R.E.P. Yourself for Success

"You've got to be tough to do the big things in life like taking risks, admitting mistakes, and changing bad habits.  You've got to be tough to do the little things like biting your tongue, waiting your turn and putting up with fools.  Self-reliance and self-confidence will demand your toughness.  Then, you must temper toughness with kindness, realizing that many times it will be tough to be kind." --Bill Fitzpatrick

Little Tyler stood about 45 inches tall, dressed in his white do-bok with a light blue belt.  Tyler was testing for his dark blue belt in Tae Kwon Do.  At the age of 6, he had already successfully earned his yellow, orange, green, purple and light blue belts.  In addition to the rigorous endurance training and complicated forms he had to demonstrate, Tyler had to break a board using a back kick.

As he spun around, his little foot met the board with a small amount of impact.  Unfortunately, not enough impact to break the board.  After trying four times, Master Lee asked him to sit down while the rest of the testing class broke their boards.  Once everyone else was finished, Tyler was called back up again to break his board.

Handing his board to Master Lee, he got into position to kick the board.  After several more failed attempts, Master Lee gave Tyler a pep talk.  He got down on his level and told him that he was not going to let him give up.  He encouraged him and told him he would stay there with him until he broke the board.  Master Lee was giving Tyler 100 more tries, and he asked the audience to count for him.  I watched in anticipation as this little boy tried over and over and over to achieve his goal.  At one point, he broke down in tears from the discouragement he was feeling.  Master Lee instructed him to “breathe” and he wiped the tears from his face.  Getting a second wind, Tyler kept kicking until at last, on the 74th try, the board broke in two.  The biggest grin broke out on Tyler’s face and the audience cheered.

What Tyler probably doesn’t know was the valuable life lesson Master Lee taught him that day.  Tyler learned he had the ability to keep going even when it was hard.  He learned that he can be successful if he keeps trying and doesn’t give up.  Isn’t this story representative of what we all go through at times when we’re trying to achieve our own goals?

We set out to achieve something that is important to us – a more organized life, a better marriage, a healthier body or a more positive attitude – only to find that it’s not as easy as we thought.  We get discouraged and sometimes we want to give up.  Some days go well, and other days life threatens to knock us down.  The good news is we can develop the characteristics that are needed for us to be victorious with any goal or change we want.  You, too, can P.R.E.P. yourself for success.

Perseverance

When I worked in the corporate world, my managers used to lovingly call me “bulldog”.  They knew I had persistence and I was determined to not give up on anything that was important to me.  You have to approach your goals with determination.  Push the excuses and obstacles out of the way and don’t compromise on what is important to you. 

Resilience

In Tae Kwon Do, one of the five tenets is having an indomitable spirit.  This means that you get back up if and when you fall down.  We all fall down at times.  We set out to try something new, or master a skill or habit that is challenging, and things don’t go as planned.  Falling down is not failure.  Falling down does not mean we abandon our goal.  What can we learn from the determined one year old that ventures out to test her skill in walking?  Does she abandon the idea of walking after she falls down for the 10th time?

Energy

Making changes in our lives requires energy – physical, emotional and mental energy.  Physical energy enables us to be productive.  Emotional energy determines whether or not we can manage stress and enjoy our lives.  Mental energy gives us the creativity to generate solutions to life’s challenges.  Create the space in your life to nurture your body, mind and spirit.  Clear your life of any unwanted energy drains.  Reserve your energy for only the most important things in your life.

Positive Thinking

The fact remains “All things are possible with God.”  Do not let negative thinking sabotage your goals.  Think positively about your abilities, your gifts, and your blessings.  Practice gratitude for every person, every experience, every failure, and every day.  Each day is a new day and a new opportunity for new success.  Let the past go, enjoy the present day, and look brightly into the future.  With a positive frame of mind, your energy will be higher, and you will have more perseverance and resilience to create whatever is important to you.

This day, this week, this month and this year, P.R.E.P. yourself for success.  Develop perseverance and resilience, reserve and raise your energy, and practice positive thinking.  Soon you will be on your way to achieving any goal you desire.