We are often advised to "Aim for the stars". How many people out there fail and falter and at the end give up their aspiration after failing to get through their first, second hurdle? Many I would say.
Taking for example, a Malaysian dude has dreams to play football for say, Manchester United (where else..) And by keeping his eyes on solely that club, he trains vigorously everyday, hoping to catch the eye of a scout that just might be lurking in Malaysia. Refusing to play for that Malaysian football club that has offered him a place, he stubbornly trains, refusing to lower his ambitions to just play for a local team.
However, what he didn't realise is that, that offer just might be the stepping stone to success. To play for the greatest team on earth. What if, say, he takes the time to sit down and plan it out.
Step 1: Get into a local Malaysian team.
Step 2: Get into the National squad.
Step 3: Catch the eye of European clubs.
Step 4: Play in the Premier League for any club even if it's not ManUtd.
Step 5: Sooner or later, by playing well and maintaining a good attitude no matter where I am, I'll get into Manchester United.
So with this change of mindset, he sets himself new albeit impermanent targets. After a few seasons in that local team, his hard work pays off. He makes it to the Malaysian National Squad. He then participates in international matches. Soon, his talent catches the eyes of a lower league team in England. He goes on a one week trial for League One club Oldham Athletic. He does enough to impress the manager and staff there and gets signed for 2 years.
After 3 seasons there, Portsmouth Football club comes knocking a offers him a contract. A chance to play in the Premier League even though it's not with Manchester United. He jumps at the chance, and signs on the dotted line.
He does well there, getting on the scoresheet regularly. And helps the team win the League Cup. He plays another season for them, putting in good performances.
Then one fine day, he gets news from his agent that Sir Alex has seen videos of him and is inquiring on his availability. Without losing a moment, he arranges a meeting with the Portsmouth board and explain his position: his desire and ambition since the beginning to play for Manchester United. They consent, and ManUtd buys him off at the price Portsmouth demands.
Mission Accomplished. But he better continue to perform well otherwise he'll be shipped out.
So what can we gather from this story?
1) His Perseverance. Note that it didn't take him 2 or 3 years to get to where he's at. It is the determination that drives him on to the foremost target.
2) Maintaining a good attitude. It didn't matter which club he was at, he made the best out of each situation, dug deep and performed good each time.
and most importantly,
3) Getting his priorities right. If he had stubbornly refused to play for a lower club at the get go, he wouldn't be where he is today. And he achieved that by setting one small bite at a time, in the end accumulating and getting his whole piece of cake.
And lets say after playing for Portsmouth and other known clubs he still doesn't managed to play for Manchester United, doesn't matter, because,
‘If you reach for the stars, you might not quite get one, but you won’t end up with a handful of mud, either.’ - Leo Burnett.
That is not to say that you're not to try hard and put in your best shot. Yet, even if it doesn't work out, you're still guaranteed to be in good waters.
‘Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars.’ - Les Brown
‘No one travels so high as he who knows not where he is going.’ - Oliver Cromwell
‘The secret of success is constancy of purpose.’ - Benjamin Disraeli
‘It is not enough to take steps which may some day lead to a goal; each step must be itself a goal and a step likewise.’ - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
‘If the individual is narrowly concentrated on the goal, to the exclusion of other relevant aspects of the problem situation, he is often unable to achieve a solution. The creative thinker must stand sufficiently detached from his work.’ - Mary Henle
‘Aim at heaven and you get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.’‘Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, few in pursuit of the goal.’ - Friedrich Nietzsche
‘Give yourself the freedom to explore the possibility of life without limits. Goals are dreams with deadlines, a means to an end but not the ultimate purpose of life.’ - Glynis Nunn
‘I dread success. To have succeeded is to have finished one’s business on earth, like the male spider who is killed by the female the moment he has succeeded in his courtship. I like the state of continual becoming, with a goal in front and not behind.' - George Bernard Shaw
Ps: That story is a fictional one. Not to say I didn't have dreams to play for that club though.... :p
