
34 Comments
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David Hunter
Just remember this when you apply for a job... A lot of people can't even pass a drug test these days. So if you are applying for a position that has 100 applicants, 50 of them probably can't even pass the drug test. If you don't do drugs you're already ahead of the game!
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Randy
I agree that it is very important for people not to loose faith in their ability to succeed. As long as you learn from your mistakes and move forward with them, there is no reason why you shouldn't succeed!
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Jordan M.
This is very good advice. I am a firm believer that anything is possible as long as you put your mind and energy towards your goal.
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Joshua Rodriguez
Self confidence plays a huge role in success. If there is enough determination behind a goal, there is no reason why it couldn't be reached. Thanks for sharing with us!
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Irina Z
Such a great article. I can relate - earlier this year I won Tim Ferriss' $10K Memory Challenge (the task was to learn to memorize the order of a shuffled 52 card deck in under 1 minute). I remember the night I saw the blog post announcing the challenge, I seriously thought "Somebody will win. Why the hell not me?". Practiced for 5 days straight and managed to score the prize. Fastest $10,000 I have earned in my life. I am still in slight disbelief. Later I spoke to Ed Cooke, who co-organized the challenge and he confirmed that only a small percentage of the 5000 people who started the challenge actually proceeded to practice beyond the first day.
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Jay Cross
Perfect example! :)
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Jarrod
Ramit/Jay- Have you ever read Cyril Parkinson's essay on how to run a competitive selection? The gist is that ideally you should set the parameters of the competition such that only one person applies, whom you ultimately select. This post reminded me of that essay (which was exaggerated for humorous effect), but from the other side.
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Jay Cross
I have not read that essay but I have a feeling I will love it. Will dig it up now. Thanks for the tip!
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Jay Cross
Another example I wish I included in the post: videos on YouTube. Look at any video series with three parts. An interview, clips from a TV show, anything. You will invariably see the number of views tail off from the first, second, and third videos until something like 1/4 of those who started actually make it through to the end.
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Ragnar
Very cool approach to changing your perspective on barriers... I'm incredibly commitment averse so I can relate to just not bothering. I mean, I have been out of work for a while and have stubbornly refused to go meet managers face to face because I somehow feel that doing that for the mere chance to get a no-skills-required job is beneath me. I even know it's counterproductive and stupid. I find it very confusing.. but hey, at least now I know how to win the next competition that offers up a career path that I'm actually interested in!
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Laura
I love this. I can think instantly of a handful of times I've said those sorts of things to myself, "Oh I don't fit the requirements." And who knows what would have happened if I went for it anyway. I can also see how I can reverse this process (like I imagine Ramit's article you linked discusses, but I haven't clicked it yet) and use it to filter out people who aren't going to work as hard for me. For instance, I hired a VA once and pretty much gave them the job the first time we talked without even hearing much about them. They performed at a very low caliber for my needs and actually added work to my plate instead of taking it away. If I had told the VA that to get my business they would need to prove that they could filter through content and pull out the gold for my audience, she probably wouldn't have done it or wouldn't have done a good job and I would have saved myself a lot of time and some money too.
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Jay Cross
Bingo :)
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Anca
So obvious and yet so not. I'm going to let this concept worm its way into my brain. What I take from this is that pretty much everyone is afraid of failure/rejection, you don't have to be less afraid than your competition, you just have to push through those feelings for a few seconds longer than them and you'll find yourself succeeding more than you expected. "You may already be a winner!" So true. :)
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Jay Cross
Anca, You're right: it seems obvious, but like so many things in life, it's still not practiced by the majority of people. I use this framework mainly to motivate myself. When I'm in the trenches and thinking about quitting (or half-assing it) I think of everyone else who's doing that and remember that I have a really good shot if I push harder than them.
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Mike Goodman
Absolutely correct. Thinking your couldn't do it will not get you anywhere. No matter how many excuses you give it only boils down to one thing, you re not good enough and you're just too scared to admit it outrightly.
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Marissa
Thanks for the post- i'm in a similar situation as Ragnar's comment below and I'll take this perspective to heart as I interview for (or create!) the next best role for me.
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Tawnya Greene
I agree with the last part...When you identify what other unsuccessful person do, you can get a clear overview of the things you must not do in order to succeed with your goals. Making yourself better or best in areas where others are failing can give you an edge over them. The same holds true in taking control over your finances.
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Ryan @ Impersonal Finance
Spot on article man. Too many people want to be handed something, and when the smallest obstacle gets in their way, they quit. There are always going to be excuses NOT to do something, you just have to find one single reason to actually do it and go through with it.
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Gareth
This article is right on the money. A couple years ago, I entered a contest on Twitter to win a year-long VIP pass to one of my town's most popular music venues. The contest had multiple questions that had to be answered, and with each question, fewer and fewer people answered. When the last question came around, it required contestants to physically go to a location in my town and take a photo of themselves at that location. I was literally one of only two people who completed this final step. So even though hundreds of people entered the contest when it started, it came down to me having a 50% chance of winning the prize just by virtue of persevering and sticking with it to the end.
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Jay Cross
Amazing, isn't it Gareth? Once you go through this once or twice, you start seeing examples of it everywhere.
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Rasha Hisham
Loved you post. It reminded me of a quote my teacher always used to tell us, 'half of life is just showing up'. Your post was especially relevant for me today because I just entered a startup contest. It made me really think about everybody who would possibly enter and what mistakes they may make. Thank you so much Ramit for such an insightful article.
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Bill
Wow this is incredible Ramit, personally I'd embrace the thought of having total confidence to win the challenge.
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Jason
This is awesome... And thought provoking. And, I want you to buy my new ebook! Send me your email and I will tell you when it is available.
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Ray Silverman
Years ago a friend told me that life is like a war of attrition. The winners are those who are left after everyone else drops out! It made sense to me then, and it made sense to me today while reading your blog. When you get right down to it, the only thing that really matters is not giving up. It may sound negative, but it's actually the most optimistic--and the most courageous--thing in the world. As Helen Keller once said, "Truly, I have looked into the heart of darkness and refused to yield to its paralyzing influence. But in spirit I am one who walks the morning."
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Christian Johnson
Oh my *bleeping* Jesus! So, y'all know how there are folks that talk about God talking them? Haha well he just slapped me in the freaking face!!! I just started blogging like literally last week, and my first thought was to try to write a guest post for Ramit. I ready his "guide to writing an effective guest post for high-traffic bloggers." Afterward I immediately crumbled and thought well maybe i'll come back in six months when I have some traffic. Something just told me to come to this site tonight and look at this post. This was God slapping me. Telling me to Wake UP! Thanks Ramit and Jay!
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Eleanor
Great article. I had an experience where I applied & was accepted to a top international conference even though I was scared of rejection. A guy I know who has a better network in the field didn't apply, so didn't get accepted & ended up whining about it afterwards. Can't find the exact quote, but goes something like "he who can suffer 15 minutes more, has won the battle".
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Erik Lim
My gosh, great article ! Success is a process, not an event. Sadly, most people want to shortcut the entire process and jump to the end. Doesn't work that way. You want to succeed, you better be damn willing to do the necessary. Brings back to mind one of my favorite quotes 'Don't let someone else's highlight reel be your everyday routine.' Thanks for sharing Ramit.
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Ross
Great post Ramit/Jay. This story reminds me when I tried out for the high school golf team. The tryouts were split into three days where you played a course each day. Two friends I knew also were trying to make the team. They played poorly and quit after the first day! One of them I remember said to me he was "sick" as his excuse to not play the final two days of try outs. I didn't make the team but unlike my two friends, I didn't do "their" job for them and competed all three days until I was formally rejected.
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dormitory definition
Hello mates, pleasant article and fastidious urging commented here, I am truly enjoying by these.
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The President Of The United States
I love this article. I am join a contest and the real thing that stood out for me is: "If five hundred people enter a contest, maybe ten of them will be truly world-class. The rest filter themselves out for you. Meaning if you really dedicate yourself, you only have to beat ten people!" This is so true! I used this momentum to really push hard and get into the final 5 of a competition with 1000 people!
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Amber
This is a great article! Too many people cut themselves down and out of competitive situations just because they are not sure of themselves. If you don't succeed the first time try try again!