Charging to Success
There are many theories on what it takes to achieve success. Some would say there is a fair amount of luck involved, others would say it is all about hard work, and still others would say that it is timing – when a great idea meets the marketplace at just the right time. In the book Rhinoceros Success by Scott Alexander, he makes the case for a relentless commitment to taking bold action toward your goals.
He describes the majority of the world as a place of sheep or cows. The cows are those that are out to pasture, moving about slowly from day to day, grazing through life. For the cows, there is a predictable routine at a predictable pace. Cows are somewhat oblivious to their surroundings, as long as they are getting the basics of food and water – they are coasting along.
On the flipside, you can be the type of person that seeks opportunities, looks for challenges, doesn’t let bumps in the road slow them down, and is on a relentless pursuit of achievement of their goals. Alexander describes this person as the rhinoceros. The very thick-skinned animal found in the jungles that survives by charging toward their prey. They are quite agile and when charging there is very little that can slow them down. They are single-minded and focused when in pursuit.
In business, we can identify cows. Perhaps the business owner sees retirement in the near future and they are coasting or the business owner has a working spouse and they view their business as something extra for the family. When you see cows in business you can tell that they are okay with a predictable, routine pace.
We can also identify those few that clearly identify as rhinoceros’. Everything they do is done with passion. They don’t know what slow looks like. They are full of energy, ideas and exhaust those around them. Rhinoceros’ are the ones that are getting things done.
YOUR CHALLENGE: Make the commitment to being a rhinoceros. Set your goals and charge ahead with all the energy you can muster – every single day – until you reach your goals.
If you would like to learn more about how this might apply to your business, let’s talk:
