I have always been a person that envisioned what I wanted, went after it and then achieved it. I believe if you want something bad enough you can get it, but I also believe that you need to be willing to do what ever it takes to get there. The what ever it takes is the one thing that most people are not willing to do, when I reflect back on the moments of what ever it takes in my life and career they have been moments of target focused actions, and not always the most fulfilling ones at that moment, but as time goes on they have gotten me to where I wanted to go and beyond achieving more than I could have imagined and providing me with a great sense of accomplishment.
I was chatting with a very good friend of mine today (another retail leader and mentor) and we were talking about visions and dreams and why some people can achieve them while others cannot. Heres the conclusion we came to some people have the ability to take a vision and put it into practical actions that will result in achieving even more than where they started, however more common are people that can’t. But the more you examine why they can’t its the willingness that always stands out more than the lack of ability to do the what ever it takes.
Leadership takes courage, hard work and the ability to go beyond the norm and try new things. It takes getting outside your comfort zone which causes you to push yourself to do the things that maybe others may not even try because their own fear paralyses them to stop before they even start. Leadership is a willingness to sometimes be wrong, while continueing to find the right solution and keep it moving.
Lets talk about that famous statement :What ever it takes for a moment.
This takes many shapes and forms depending on what it is you are trying to achieve. For example if your dream is to run a company, grow in position or develop your self then you will have to be willing to invest in yourself and take action to join a leadership group, training or something that will take you beyond where you are today to where you want to grow or if your dream is to start a foundation, volunteer, mentor or just be better at what you already do then maybe it’s about spending more time reading, and learning, it could mean you stop watching TV for a month and actually give up an hour everyday and dedicate it to improve and gather information that can assist you in what you want to achieve.
What ever the what ever it takes is for you. Turn it into small repetitive actions that over time will compound into manifesting your dreams, goals and vision you have for your life.