Unreasonable Ambition, Yes, Blind Ambition No.

You often hear people's opinions on what it takes to be a success in this world. You hear advice on habits, best practice, waking up with a '5' on the alarm clock, or just plain old advice from your Grand Pa saying "Son, hard work is what it takes to make something of yourself in this world". Everyone has a view on what the secret to success is, even those who are not successful.

The Wall Street Journal had a remarkable quote the other day from British entrepreneur (and once a Dragon on Dragon's Den) Peter Jones that adds yet another perspective on what it takes to make it:

When I am asked to give advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, I say: "Why don't you just go for it!" Some might see that as unreasonable. After all, just going for it can put you at risk and diminish security. There are always good reasons not to go for it.

To answer it requires an unreasonable view about what you can achieve. You need to be unreasonable in your ambitions, unreasonable in your rejection of your lot in life, unreasonable in your belief of what can be achieved if you put your mind to it, unreasonable about your skills and unreasonable about your expectations.

Fantastic words that ring true to the reader's ear. I certainly appreciated it, and I especially appreciate the friend who shared the quote with me. He is a true warrior in pursuit of his happiness. By most standards he has already made it, but by his own standards he has a long way to go and recently decided to take yet another step towards chasing his dream. More power to him, he is an inspiration for the rest of us.

Yet as I admire the wisdom of others and their masterful words like the quote above I can't help but to think there are still more failures out there who are unreasonably ambitious, get up at 5am, are relentless in their pursuit of success, putting in the hours often at great expense to their health and relationships, and yet fall short. This got me thinking of a lesson a mentor shared with me when I was in just getting out of school, a story I had forgotten. It goes something like this...

A young man sets out from his village in ancient China to pursue his ambition to be the best marital artist in the kingdom. He travels from village to village, challenging schools and fighters, demonstrating his skills and especially his will to be the best martial artist in the last. On his journey he learns of a master who lives on the other side of the kingdom and is known to run the best school for the best martial artists in all the kingdom. Our young friend makes his way there and arrives for an audience with the old master. 

"Master," he says, "I have come to join your school and to become the best martial artist in all the land. How long will it take for me to accomplish my goal under your instruction?"

The master replies "10 years."

"10 years??" our friend replies in shock. "Master, what if I train twice as hard as everyone else, how long will it take me then to become the best martial artist in all the land?"

"20 years," responds the old master.

"20 years??" shouts out the young man of ambition. "Master, what if I train night and day, every day, with no rest. How long then?"

"30 years," says the master calmly.

"But master, I do not understand. Every time I tell you I will work harder, do more, train more, sleep less, you say it will take longer! Why?"

The master responds "Because when you have one eye focused on the destination only one eye remains for the journey". 

I loved that story when a wise man shared it with me and I love it now. I believe this is a major difference between successful people and those who fall short. Striking the right balance between the actions you take today and the goal you have set can make or break you. Perhaps its human nature, after all how many people are focused on the ambition of making money without truly understanding the need to actually produce something that creates wealth? 

Maybe its all those Hollywood flics and gossip magazines that fill our heads with empty ambition without teaching us what it takes to achieve those same ambitions. Or maybe its the lack of entrepreneurial education. Regardless, as I read Peter Jones' words, and those of other successful people who are pursuing their happiness I appreciate more and more the importance of balance, hard work and maniacal focus on what we need to do today in order to get to where we want to be tomorrow. Good night from rainy Detroit...