PERSEVERE!
Babe Ruth did not hit a homerun every time he pointed to the outfield bleachers with his bat. Yet he didn’t quit baseball to start an ant farm when he failed to hit homeruns. He continued stepping up to the plate even after he whiffed. And that is why he is one of the most prolific homerun hitters in the history of baseball.
So what? Continuing to step up to the plate is half the battle! Nothing ventured, nothing gained. But you have to expect that failures (strike-outs) will occur in your life. But each failure brings you one step closer to your next success. Failure is not permanent until you quit.
I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying. - Michael Jordan Click To Tweet
Every single athlete in the history of the world has experienced epic fails. To expect perfection right out of the gate is unreasonable. That’s just setting yourself up for disappointment. But when you anticipate failure, you’ll have a better chance of success, especially in the classroom. Moreover, you’ll be entering a much tougher classroom — the classroom of life — with the proper prospective… failure is an opportunity, not a permanent curse.
If you don’t give up when the going gets tough, you will succeed. Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, and Michael Jordan have all soldiered on when things did not go their way. And that is why they are successful. In addition to talent, they worked hard and didn’t quit.
What does this have to do with students?
Too often I see what I call the “once and done willie” who gives up the instant something requires hard effort and time to master. That is, if something isn’t easy or doesn’t come with an ironclad guarantee of quick and easy success, they give up after one try. Or worse, they have no interest in even trying. Some students get easily discouraged when they aren’t instantly as good as the teacher at a tough new math skill.
But if you give up, you’ll never reach your 10,000 hours of deliberate practice. And remember… if something’s easy to do, it’s probably not worth learning or won’t lead to gainful employment.
There are no shortcuts to any place worth going. - Beverly Sills Click To Tweet
So anticipate failure, and recognize it for the learning experience that it is. The only way to fail is to give up.
Remember that success is a planned event. Believe in yourself.
Pay attention, do the work, and don’t give up!
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