Summary

Successful people, exemplified by LeBron James, achieve greatness by setting specific, ambitious goals and never settling for second best, a mindset that requires clarity, hard work, and the willingness to ask for help with precision.

Abstract

The article emphasizes the importance of having a clear and specific vision for success, using the career of LeBron James as a prime example. It argues that successful individuals, regardless of their field, avoid settling for less than their ultimate goals. The author, Christopher D. Connors, recounts advice from a top executive, stressing that one must articulate their intentions with exactitude and work tirelessly to realize their ambitions. The path to success involves setting big goals, such as LeBron's pursuit of being the greatest basketball player, and continuously striving for improvement. The article also suggests that specificity in business goals, like targeting a niche market, is crucial for achieving success and fulfillment. The overarching message is that by being clear about what one wants, why they want it, and by asking for help without settling, individuals can bridge the gap between their current state and their biggest dreams.

Opinions

LeBron James' relentless pursuit of excellence and refusal to settle for anything less than being the best is highlighted as a key factor in his success.
Success is not just about having goals but also about being able to communicate them clearly to others who can assist in achieving them.
Setting vague goals, such as simply wanting to sell women's dresses, is seen as detrimental compared to having a specific focus, such as catering to the modern, athletic woman with lightweight, breathable clothing.
The author advocates for a mindset that rejects mediocrity and strives for self-actualization, happiness, and fulfillment.
Anecdotal evidence from the author's conversation with a corporate executive reinforces the idea that specificity and hard work are essential for success.
The article suggests that individuals may be closer to their dreams than they realize, needing only to adjust their approach by setting clear, ambitious goals and never settling.

The #1 Thing Successful People Never Say

Beginning with this mindset is critical for success.

LeBron James is regarded as one of the greatest basketball players to ever live. He never settled on his laurels and always set big goals from the time he first came into the NBA. But dig a little deeper and you’ll understand what has made LeBron so successful. You’ll realize he’s never settled for anything less than being the best. It’s this drive and motivation that is the key to success.

When LeBron first started playing, he wanted to make an All Star team. Then make the Playoffs, then win a Championship, MVP award and then become the all-time leading scorer in league history. After every key mile marker, he’s continued pushing forward and testing the limits of greatness.

He’s on the record of saying he wants to be the greatest player ever. And with his talent and work ethic, who could blame him?

“I have a personal goal to be the greatest. That I maximize my potential, that I got everything out of my career and I got everything out of my game that I could and that I pushed the envelope. When people said I couldn’t get better, I continue to strive to get better.” Source: USA Today

It doesn’t get any more specific and clear than that.. For LeBron James, that’s highly admirable and incredibly lofty to attain. For you, it may be that you want to create a product that provides pain relief to people suffering from lower-back ailments.That is specific. That is a big goal you can continue working toward with success measures to back you up.

Don’t Settle

“Everything you want is out there waiting for you to ask. Everything you want also wants you. But you have to take action to get it.” — Jules Renard

Successful people in sports, music, writing, business and academia never, ever say the following words:

“I’ll settle for second best.”

Success comes down to being clear and specific about your intentions — both for yourself and so others can help you. Here’s another example:

Let’s say you want to start a successful online clothing business. Here’s an example of being specific:

Not Specific: I want to sell women’s dresses and skirts that suit the modern woman.

Specific: I want to sell women’s dresses and skirts that are made from lightweight, breathable material meant for warmer-weather months, geared toward the modern, athletic woman.

Look how much better the second one is. If you settle for the first one, your aperture is too wide. You risk losing your audience.

The same thing applies to setting goals. Which one would you choose?

Settling: I’m OK with not reaching my potential as long as I can get by.

Not Settling: I’m going to give every ounce of myself, each day to reaching self-actualization and achieving my own definition of success so that I live the most rewarding, happy and fulfilling life.

The Next Step

When I started moving in the direction of my dreams several years ago, I met with the Chief Operating Officer of one of 10 largest private companies in the United States. I had previously done consulting work for this company and was brainstorming ideas for different paths I could pursue in my career. We tried figuring out if there was a place for me at his company.

I realized I wanted to start my own coaching business (which I did) and to become a writer, author and speaker who brings a positive, inspiring and practical message to millennials and young adults. I’ve tailored my message down from there to be more specific, but I want to frame the picture for what I communicated to this top executive.

He told me,

“Christopher, you have a great idea. And I think you have the right tools to be successful. But you’re going to have to work hard. You’re going to need to be very clear with your intentions and never, ever settle. People like me can help you, and you’ll NEED people to help you along the way. Every time you ask for help, tell people EXACTLY what you want. Don’t beat around the bush.

Don’t be afraid to tell people exactly what it is that you want, precisely what it will mean to you to have it, and specifically why you want to do what you want to do. When you have that level of specificity, you will have confidence and conviction. Two of the most important skills to have on your journey toward living your dreams.”

I knew what I needed to do from there. I had already made up my mind I’d never settle for second best. I didn’t want to be like everyone else hoping to start an entrepreneurial track. I wanted to stake out a niche, but most importantly I wanted to develop a greater confidence in what I was doing. I had to get specific — I did and it’s made an enormous difference.

I get to do the work I want with the people I want. It’s that simple.

We talk a lot about having the courage and confidence to get what we want in life. The first step is to steel your mindset and resolve to set a clear goal and keep working toward it. When you’re clear and specific, you firm-up your mind by mentally and emotionally preparing yourself to pursue your goals with vigor and purpose.

“Not getting what you want either means you don’t want it enough, or you have been dealing too long with the price you have to pay.” — Rudyard Kipling

Be specific and set specific goals that drive you forward. Never settle. So often, we’re not nearly as far away as we think from our biggest dreams.

We’re only a few adjustments away, yet until we reconcile this and figure it out, it seems so far. Get specific. Set big goals. Incredible leaders and success stories conquered their biggest fears and achieved amazing goals by getting clear on exactly what they wanted and resolving to never settle. You can start today on the same journey.

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