Amazing Quotes from Clients
“I've always been a big believer in working towards a goal. And the reason I'm so successful is because of this goal-oriented mindset that I have...It's an obsession with getting better.”
- James Arthur, the voice behind "Can't Stop The Feeling!"
In honor of his new album release and his movie debut, Jimmy Fallon has posted a series of quotes from famous people on the Tonight Show website. One quote in particular caught my eye: "I've always been a big believer in working towards a goal." James Arthur said this about success, which reminded me about another quote that also appears on the list: "It's an obsession with getting better.”
It's pretty simple. If you want to be better, you have to work towards it. You have to attempt improvement in skills, work ethic, attitude and personality daily. The problem is that even the best get lazy and forget about what they used to do or have done well. It's easy to let this happen because our natural instincts are to settle for mediocrity and go with what we know until something better comes along (Which is usually after it's too late.)
As a corollary: the best are always striving for excellence. They're never satisfied with just doing something well; they want to do it as well as they possibly can. For example: Tom Brady has won more Super Bowls than any other quarterback in NFL history, and he's also the only quarterback to have started and won more than three. So how is it that this guy never thinks he's earned his place in the spotlight?
The answer is that his work ethic continues to spur him on for even better record-breaking achievements. In my interview with James Arthur, he told me that he can't stay complacent because there is always someone or something to aim for. As a result, "there are times I kind of get frustrated, but I know where I want to be...I'm going to keep working until I get there.” This mentality is rarely found outside of elite athletes and business leaders that have to constantly work on their craft.
Until one day:
“I'm gonna continue to work until I get that victory...What matters is how far you go, not how fast you get there.” - Hunter S. Thompson, journalist and author of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"
You either win or you lose [ending]. There's no victory lap, no do-over. Winning is a learned skill – like anything else. The best opportunities are always lost by the people that lack desire to succeed and/or the will to work hard.
In this TED Talk video, author Tim Harford describes how job insecurity is linked to health, happiness, and longevity. This means that even if you're not pursuing a career path that matters in your eyes, there are still opportunities available for improvement. If you don't pursue them and ultimately succeed at something, it's because you didn't want it bad enough.
The quote at the top of this post shows that even the most successful people have a goal-oriented mindset. James Arthur believes in getting better, and the things that have allowed him to do that are tools like his commitment to family, friends, and the rest of humanity. Tom Brady has worked hard to be a source of inspiration for others young and old. Hunter S. Thompson wrote stories that drastically improved one's empathy and sense of justice. They all worked towards something they wanted a lot, and they all cared enough to not stop until they got it.
Want more examples? I can think of some...
“I just feel really lucky to be in a position where I can express what I think the world is and how it operates through music.” - David Byrne, frontman of the band Talking Heads
The work he did with his band (and solo) was seen by millions of people, and several of their songs have become full-blown cultural phenomenons. He wrote songs that were odd but relatable, catchy but unique. David's desire to express himself as an artist has helped him thrive for decades, and it was only possible because he cared about what he was doing.
“I am not crazy about talking about my past because I just want to move forward and keep going. That's something I really want to do.” - Serena Williams, famous tennis player
Serena is undoubtedly one of the greatest athletes in the history of sports, male or female. She's got over 20 grand slam titles and has won more matches than any other player in history. Along with that, she's one hellova businesswoman who has her own line of clothing (Athleta), as well as various other investments / businesses under her belt.
“I think people get really caught up on trying to be great, but greatness is just love and acceptance and understanding...and being happy with yourself and doing things that help grow you as a person and make you happy.” - Chloë Grace Moretz, actress and model
Chloë's career and life as a whole has been defined by her dedication to herself. She hasn't let the pressures of Hollywood ruin what she stands for. She has also never been afraid to speak up about her opinions on how women are treated in entertainment and society.
“I'm always working on something different because I'm dying to find out what else there is...it's not like I want to be known as the greatest American writer ever-that's not it at all...I mean, I want to be the best living writer now, but that's my job-to stay alive.”- Cormac McCarthy, novelist
Cormac has been under constant pressure to be the best he can be. He's had a heck of a career already, but his goal is to continue to grow as an artist and writer. What makes him so good is that he's constantly trying new things and working towards being better at them than he was before.
“There are things I need to do. I have these needs that I can't ignore, and I'm gonna do those things...I'm not the oldest cut flower in the garden of life” - Oprah Winfrey, talk show host
Oprah doesn't have time for mediocrity or anything close to it. She's always looking for ways to get better, and she has a huge platform that she wholly shares with the rest of us.
"We are the sum of our desires... and we fulfill our desires by striving." - Montaigne, philosopher, 1533
The best among us will never be satisfied with mediocrity. It's easy to be content when you're living a life that you want, but being satisfied is impossible if you've never wanted anything in your life. I believe that desire is absolutely necessary for effectiveness. If you don't have it for something or someone, you can't work towards it.
Conclusion
The common thread between all of the people above is that they have all worked hard to get where they are now. Their best works have only been possible because they wanted them, and they had the desire to make them happen. If you want to become better at something, you need to care about it and want it bad enough (at least for a little while). Without that, I don't think you'll ever truly be successful at anything. Then again, if you're very passionate about something and work your ass off for it...there's nothing stopping you from reaching your dreams.