Develop a Compelling Vision

Dear lovely people,

I agree with Leland Stanford who said “man cannot create what he cannot imagine.”  In order to innovate, we must begin with a compelling vision of the future that is different from what others are imagining. John Logie Baird, for example, imagined a set that could transmit pictorial images over a distance by radio waves. Despite the adversities he was going through at the time, he pushed forth with his vision and ended up inventing the first mechanical television. Today, he is ranked number 44 in the BBC's list of the "100 Greatest Britons" following a UK-wide vote.

Exceptional imagination is however not enough to achieve resounding success in life. A high achiever must be imbued with the capacity to Outwit, Outplay and Outlast his competition. It is those three simple words combined that embody what it takes to be unquestionably successful.

 
The Merriam Webster Dictionary says Outwit means, “To get the better of by superior cleverness”. The American Heritage Dictionary thinks Outplay is “To surpass (an opponent) in skill or technique or in scoring points.” And the Macmillan Dictionary says Outlast is “to last longer, or to continue to be successful for longer, than someone or something else.”

Outwit Your Competition: You must find a way to be smarter than your competition. Competition could come in the form of a co-worker going after the same promotion as you, or another company going after the same customers as yours. You should always be learning as much as possible so that you can be quick on your feet and outsmart your competition. Being able to outwit your competition means that you will have to draw from your life experiences as well as your basic ability to think on your feet. You must consistently make a difference.

Outplay Your Competition: To outwit your competition is good but not enough. You must equally outplay them. To do this, you have to work harder than them and think strategically. It's not good enough to just be smart. You have to apply that knowledge into a plan of action.

Outlast Your Competition: If you consistently outwit and outplay your competition, you will realize positive outcomes but you will not be at your optimum unless you equally outlast them to become victorious. You must be willing to be patient and go the extra mile. Some battles take years to win. You must let your competition know that you will not give up. Wear them down until they quit.

In all, you should find the balance between the science (by the book) and art (people side) of your field and you have to rely on these skills and situationally determine the right timing and amount of each to utilize. The secret of most successful people, those I call High Achievers is that they mastered the ability to outwit, outplay, and outlast to get where they are today. Succeeding at all three should be your focus if you truly want to be insanely successful.