Diary of a Nearly Successful Man

I was listening to the radio a couple of days ago when they were talking about 'Winning at all costs'. It was in relation to sport, guess what football in particular, and whether it was justified and it made me think particularly as I am a nearly successful man. Maybe if I had decided to win at all costs I would now be describing myself as a successful man but would it have been worth it? I actually do not believe that winning should be at all costs but winning is important and I want to be a winner. With the Apprentice just coming back we do get entertainment from the people who seem to be determined to win by trampling on others, but do we respect them?
Taking drugs in sport is another example of winning at all costs but think of the harm that is caused to the athlete and the effect it has on young people. People should also consider the shame when they are caught, because they ususally are and is it then worth it?
I believe that we should try to win to achieve our goals but this should not be at the expense of others which means that it should not be at all costs. Provided that our goals are releastic and achievable we can win and achieve the success that we desire.
Back to my story from which I seem to be getting deflected later.

After posting my second blog on what is success I believe that I should first of all revise my thoughts on my father. He was a kind and gentle man who was liked by everyone that met him. He was respected by my brothers and me, we were not afraid of him but loved him. He always had time for us all and for his grandchildren when they came along, both my daughters still have fond memories of him even though he died when they were still young. He was successful in his personal life. Where I believe he was nearly successful was in business. There is no doubt he died too early he would have had great fun seeing his grandchildren and now great grandchildren grow up.

Back to my life.

When do I believe that being nearly successful started. I think that it was with my 11+. I was a bright child and learnt quickly. I went to a private school which did more for my manners than my education but even so I expected to pass. I did not. I was told that I had nearly passed and that I was on the reserve list, ie if someone dropped out then I would get a place, no one did. So I nearly made it to grammer school. I believe that the real reason that I did not pass was due to a dramatic event that took place on the day of the exam.

There was a girl at my old school that was a terror, all the children were scared of her(strangely enough she became my sister in law but has not improved with age in fact she has got worse). She left my school due to an accident to her father much to ther releaf of everyone. After arriving at the school to take the exam I walked round a corner and literally bumped into her. It was traumatic and I am sure that it affected my results, or is this just an excuse? This sister in law is now the wicked witch in my granddaughters stories with a long pointed nose, green face and warts. Am I afraid of her now, certainly not, I only feel sorry for her.

So where does being nearly successful start? Was this it for me? One thing it did not do was affect my confidence, I was and still am a confident person so is it my inability to focus?

More later.

I have been asked what my definition of success is.

Success is different things to different people for one it could be paying off your mortgage early another saving up to have a holiday every year while to someone else it is getting promotion and earning more money. To judge if you are successful you must have a goal, something to aim for and to measure against. Everyone needs goals without them you just drift but the goal must be individual to the individual, not something that someone else has set.

Therefore the person who sets his goal as retiring by the age of 50 and does so is a successful person. But if that person is not able to retire at 50 does not necessarily mean they are unsuccessful provided that they have revisited their goals and reset them.

I understand the concept of goals and goal setting but never applied them properly which is another reason for me being a nearly successul man.

I will possibly look at goal setting in a later blog.

There are many people out there who believe they are successful. Maybe they are truely successful because what is success? People are often successful in their own own eyes but not in others. Sometimes they believe they are successful but they are only nearly successful and it takes them a long time realise this.

It has in fact taken me nearly 60 years to realise that I am a nearly successful man because I genuinely believed that I was being successful. But when I think about it it started many years ago and maybe it was heredity, because I now think that my father was a nearly successul man.

The idea of this blog is to try to help people to not be nearly successful people but fully maximise their potential and be as successful as they can possibly be.