Competition and Performance

 “MANY OF LIFE'S FAILURES ARE PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T REALIZE HOW CLOSE THEY WERE TO SUCCESS WHEN THEY GAVE UP." 

 -- THOMAS EDISON  

 "SOME PEOPLE WANT IT TO HAPPEN. SOME WISH IT WOULD HAPPEN, OTHERS MAKE IT HAPPEN."  -- MICHAEL JORDAN  

People performing at their best almost always have a good deal of talent and intelligence, but they've surely learned that success requires lots of effort., too. As the old saying goes, "there’s no substitute for hard work." And if you want to be a high achiever, you'll also need the unique quality known as persistence, or "grit."

•  Imagine you are a world-class endurance runner. You spend months and years in training to compete in an extremely, challenging long-distance race..

• You hope to win. But there's something else going on as well. You are testing your limits. How far and how fast can you go? You want the personal satisfaction of performing at that high level of competition, knowing that you are achieving a long-term goal.

• Such commitment is uncommon. It requires a special combination of perseverance, passion, desire and self-discipline.  Put them altogether and you have tenacity -- and a recipe for success. 

• Now, think the same way about your performance in  a school. Like athletes, students improve in different ways at different speeds. They also thrive in different environments. You must figure out how, when and where you do your best. 

• Being optimistic helps. Believe in the end that you are able to do whatever you are trying to accomplish even if you are not as gifted as some of your competitors.

• Along the way, remember that you have to be literate and competent in key areas to succeed at school and afterward, including personal finance and technology. 

• Managing money is now a survival skill. Learn how to use it to avoid hardships. That means understanding how to make money, save it, protect it and spend it  with a checkbook and a credit card. Moreover, try to find out about loans, insurance, and how to compare  prices in the marketplace of goods and services. 

• Equally important is your ability to use computers and related equipment. That is likely to play a major role in your choice of careers and opportunities for personal growth. It's been estimated that about 75% of all jobs require workers to touch a computer every day, and the number is bound to increase.