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Beating the Odds

More Vital Than Genius or Strategy

A friend of mine is having trouble establishing a reliable income. He comes to the market with great skill and a sincere wish to serve. These alone will not help him, however, without a third ingredient.

He must learn to finish. Something. Anything.

“Whatever it takes to finish things, finish,” said British writer Neil Gaiman. “You will learn more from a glorious failure than you ever will from something you never finished.”

Yes, my friend has not yet seen that finishing one small project is better than dreaming 1,000 big ones. I can relate. After transitioning from a newspaper career to the world of coaching, I veered here and there, chasing one idea after another. Finally, it hit me — finish something!

It even became a chapter in my book “The Improvement Factor: How Winners Turn Practice Into Success.” Finishing something brings two huge benefits. First, it cleans up your nagging guilt.

“Nothing,” said psychology pioneer William James, “is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.”

Second, finishing builds your confidence. Every time you complete a task, you build your belief that you can do it again.

When you get in the habit of finishing, you combine these two benefits. Free from the weight of unfinished tasks, you move forward with increased assurance.

“I’m racing against me,” said musician Ruben Studdard. “As long as I come across the finish, I’ll be okay.”

That goes for my friend.

And for me.

And for you.

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Thank you for visiting Total Game Plan. If your team, group or business needs a motivational speaker, please email coachtully @ totalgameplan.com. Here are some other resources for your success:

Think Better, Win More!” will give you a mental game to match your physical game.

To get better at anything, check out “The Improvement Factor: How Winners Turn Practice into Success.”

Do you coach females? Are you a female athlete, or the parent of one? Here’s “Was It Something I Said? A Guide to Coaching Female Athletes” by Vanessa Sullivan and Mike Tully

Need some motivation? Everyone needs it now and then. Open any page of “Thank God You’re Lazy! The Instant Cure for What’s Holding You Back” by Dr. Rob Gilbert and Mike Tully.

Are you a teacher, boss or sports coach? Here’s “Ten Things Great Coaches Know” by Mike Tully and Gary Pritchard.

Want to have your best basketball season ever? Here’s “Basketball: What Great Players Know that You Don’t Know,” by Mike Tully and Gio Grassi.

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