Calvin Coolidge used to be able to spin a phrase, and many of his greatest quotes are still with us today and used quite often. He believed that perseverance was paramount to success. In fact, he truly believed that perseverance was the very most important part of a personality and trait for someone to ultimately achieve success in their life. So, rather than asking you what your IQ is, or how many practice tests you took before you were able to score real high on that test – I’d like to ask you if you got any grit.

Do you have the dedication, commitment, and personal strength of character to strive for success and excellence in your life, career, and/or business? The reality is you cannot be a winner unless you give it all you got and; when the going gets tough, well. you know what you have to do, and when you are knocked down, you know you’ve got your back on your feet.

So, the question is; do you not grit? Yes or no.

It’s a relatively easy question, however far too many people, say to themselves when the going gets tough; “I’m too stressed out, I need to take a break.” Well, that’s not what our ancestors said, and I daresay you wouldn’t be here, if your ancestors didn’t have grit.

They just didn’t give up because a saber tooth tiger was chasing them and they were tired, or because the weather wasn’t cooperating while they planted their crops, and they didn’t take a week off while building their house trying to get ready before winter.

No Sir, your ancestors had grit, and you have the genes, so you have it too. My only question is why aren’t you using it, why do you make excuses, and why is it that you can’t complete a project on time; think on that.

A committed decision initiates forward progress. Positive progress occurs only after a firm decision. “I’ll try” provides a ready made excuse for failure. As long as you give yourself the option of quitting at the first little bump in the road, you have guaranteed the arrival of that bump. Any time I hear “maybe” or “try” I know the odds of success are severely handicapped. “I’ll throw up a marketing campaign and see what sticks” means that decisions are wishy washy. Proceeding with the campaign as a split test implies the expectation of good results with one segment of the campaign and better results with the other segment – a choice of two positives.

Not every decision will be an overwhelming success, just as not every marketing campaign will produce an avalanche of high quality leads. Some decisions will be better than others and some campaigns will be better than others. The key difference rests in the expectation of positive results. A choice between better and best feels far more constructive than “we’ll see what happens.”

Andy Andrews wrote about the 7 Decisions for Success in his book “The Travelers Gift.”
1. The buck stops here. I am responsible for my past and my future.
2. I will seek wisdom. I will be a servant to others.
3. I am a person of action. I seize the moment. I choose now.
4. I have a decided heart. My destiny is assured.
5. Today I will choose to be happy. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit.
6. I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive myself.
7. I will persist without exception. I am a person of great faith.

Notice the absolute commitment in each and every decision. He takes responsibility. He takes action and he follows through with a decided heart. Neither indecision nor hesitation exists. Only with absolute commitment will positive results occur. The subconscious mind can not begin to create the desired result until you absolutely decide on that specific objective.

Consider going in to a restaurant and ordering tomato soup, but before the waiter can bring the order you have changed your mind and ordered cream of mushroom soup. Change your mind a third time and ask for tomato soup with mushrooms and chicken. The poor waiter has no idea what to bring you because you have no clear idea of what you want.

Your subconscious mind fills the role of the waiter. Your subconscious mind desires to please you and fulfill your chosen selection; however, the task becomes impossible until you clearly make a specific decision. Until an absolute specific detailed decision is made, you are aiming at a target in the dark with a scatter gun. Perhaps one pellet will strike the target by accident. Why not be clear, absolute and specific; center all of the shots in the center of the target.

Any time I have missed my goals in life, I can trace the cause to a non-specific goal or even worse too many goals headed in different directions. In every case, the center of the issue rested squarely on my shoulders.

Every time I set an absolutely specific goal with detailed criteria, I achieved it. The power always centers with a laser focus on the specific decision. A committed decision implies a persistence until the goal is achieved. Saying that you will work the business for a month or even six months provides the option for quitting. A powerful decision means persisting through whatever for as long as necessary to arrive at the objective.

Committed decisions provide power. In fact, power is only possible with a committed decision.