The American writer, Charles Gafield, who has
made a thorough, psychology study of peak
achievement, says that “in a study of 90 leaders in
business, politics, sports and arts, many spoke of
‘false starts but never of ‘failure’. Disappointment
spawns greater resolve, growth or change.
Moreover, no matter how rough things get, superachievers
always feel there are other avenues they
can explore. They always have another idea to test.”
Reader’s Digest, October 1986
The writer emphasizes the fact, however, that these
high achievers are neither superhuman, charismatic
nor even singularly talented. What they do have in
common is an “uncanny knack for increasing the
odds in their favour through simple techniques that
almost anyone can cultivate.” He delineates five
major areas of concern. First and foremost, one
must have a great sense of mission, and a strong
desire to turn everything that comes one’s way to
good account. Secondly, one must be resultoriented,
so that one is not just preoccupied with
unceasing activities, but with a definite outcome of
one’s efforts. Thirdly, one has to take stock of
whatever knowledge and skills one has and bring
out whatever is latent and waiting to be used, so
that it can be tuned up to a peak of perfection. Very
often, it is not so much a question of adding to one’s
knowledge and skills as of developing what is
already there—capacities of which we are
sometimes barely aware. Frequently, it is one’s
initial sense of mission which taps these hidden
resources.
Sometimes it is impossible to achieve distant goals
without the aid of one’s fellowmen, in which case,
one has to develop the capacity to inspire the team
spirit in others. Particularly in highly competitive
situations, it is essential to be able to encourage
other competent people to make a significant
contribution to one’s own performance.
But no one sails through life without bumping into
obstacles and suffering a variety of setbacks. This is
when one must beware of lapsing into passivity.
Then one has to take oneself firmly in hand and
decide to look upon such things not as great gulfs
from which one will never emerge, but simply as
hurdles which have to be surmounted if one is to
finish the race. One’s initial feeling of
disappointment should quickly transform itself into
a great determination to try harder, to alter one’s
approach, to seek different and better ways of
achieving one’s goal, and to channel one’s energies
more effectively towards their ultimate target.
Ref - The Moral Vision
- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
