Small Specific Steps to Greatness

Meredith Kessler completed 20 Ironmans before 2007 with a personal best of 11:28. She was training long hours, but not seeing any improvement. She went hard all of the time and was constantly fatigued. She made a few specific changes, is now training only 15-17 hr per week with more focus on recovery and posting low 9 hr finishes. If Meredith can do it, who else might be able to make such a huge transformation?

Mary Beth Ellis was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in 2005 and told she couldn't run marathons anymore. She made a few changes, switched to triathlon, and is now one of the top female triathletes.

Jack Welch showed no particular inclination towards business even into his mid twenties. He majored in chemical engineering and considered becoming a professor before he took a job at GE. He made a few specific changes and became the most influential business manager of his time.

John D Rockefeller grew up a poor, forgettable, and indistinguishable child. Classmates and tutors have no recollection of John excelling at anything. He made a few specific changes and became the business magnate we know today.

Steven Ballmer started at P&G where he played waste-bin basketball with wadded up memos and was voted least likely to succeed. He made a few specific changes and before the age of 50 became the CEO of Microsoft. He recently purchased the LA Clippers NBA basketball team for $2 billion.

Jerry Rice did not possess typical NFL speed and was not recruited by major universities. He focused on specific tasks to improve his game and became the greatest wide receiver in the history of the NFL.

Winston Churchill grew up with a lisp. He focused on specific tasks to improve his public speaking and became one of the greatest orators of the 20th century.

In 1978, a famous research participant with an average IQ went from struggling to repeat 9 digits spoken aloud to recalling 82 digits after 250 hr of deliberate training over 2 years.

Several chess grand masters have IQs that are below average.

Ben Hogan, one of the greatest golfers in the history of the sport, was uncoordinated and graceless as a child.

Darwin and Tolstoy were considered ordinary children. Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, and Lucille Ball were told they had little potential for their chosen fields.

Challenge: What's holding you back from making specific changes to unleash your potential? What one small step can you take today?