An excerpt from
Jump and the Net Will Appear
by Robin Crow
The Power of Following Through

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When I was a child my dad used to say, "Robin, you've got to learn to follow through." It was good advice; although it took about 25 years for that nugget of wisdom to really sink in. As I began studying the habits of successful people I realized that following through is essential to the completion of any worthwhile endeavor. Once I took that principle to heart, things began to really pay off. After almost two years of following through in the face of over 150 rejections, I landed a recording contract with RCA. It was three and a half years of relentlessly following through that brought my business, Dark Horse Recording, from conception to reality, even though I started with virtually no money. I'm not saying that by following through things will go effortlessly, or the planets will automatically line up in your favor. I'm simply saying that by following through you will arrive at your destination.

Trust me... I know how hard it is in the real world. It's hard to stay enthusiastic when you work for weeks without seeing any visible progress. It's difficult to be positive when stacks of unpaid bills are piling up. It's humiliating to remain excited in the face of rejection after rejection. It's painful to keep persevering day in and day out when you're running on empty. Why do some people buckle under the pressure, while others somehow find the strength to carry on when the going gets rough? Perhaps it's because they know that the winner is always best judged in the long run. Maybe they understand that the journey of a thousand miles is completed one step at a time. Okay -- you've heard this all before. I know it doesn't sound sexy, but it's got teeth. The idea of following through sounds so simple and logical, yet many people have trouble successfully completing the very plans they dream about.

Now that the dotcom bubble has burst and Wall Street is no longer the bull market of the late nineties, it's time to get grounded in our thinking. These overnight successes we've heard so much about are really as likely to happen as winning the lottery. Whether you're trying to build wealth or you're focused on other forms of personal achievement, understanding these principles of following through will help get you there. So let's focus on how you can maximize your efforts whether your goal is to lose weight, run a marathon, or retire independently wealthy. If you're serious about getting outstanding results, understanding the power of following through is essential. Here's my Top Ten List of the most important characteristics for successfully following through:

1) One Step at a Time:

I recently asked one of my friends how his progress was coming along in his new career. His answer was, "Every day I just keep putting one foot in front of the other." That simple statement is deceptively accurate. Taking things one step at a time is the kind of consistency that leads to personal excellence. Always remember that achieving a large goal can only be accomplished by first breaking it down into smaller steps. Imagine you're preparing to drive cross-country from Los Angeles to Atlanta. It's only natural to mentally break the trip down into smaller parts. As someone who has traveled extensively, I can vouch for this. The thought of driving thousands of miles in one stretch is just too overwhelming. Say you're driving from Los Angeles to Atlanta. Visualize taking a break after 272 miles and stopping off in Las Vegas, perhaps taking time to catch a show or try your luck at the tables for a few hours. Now, rejuvenated, move on to Flagstaff, and then perhaps Albuquerque, and so on, until, before you know it, you're on the home stretch to Atlanta. The key is taking it one step at a time.

2) Communication:

You might be asking "Communication with whom?" Yourself, that's who. In other words, by telling yourself in advance that there will be challenges, times of doubt, and temporary failures coming at the worst possible times, you will be mentally prepared. Knowing there will be setbacks that will test your faith to the very core will help keep you on track even during the worst challenges. James Allen said, "A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances." The way you communicate with yourself during tough circumstances will make the difference in how effectively you're able to follow through.

3) Advance Planning:

In every field of endeavor those who plan, prepare, and review are the ones who succeed. After all, how can you follow through if you don't have a solid plan? In many pursuits careful planning takes more time than any other part of the process. It's impossible to over-prepare. The more time you spend planning the easier it will be to see your goals to completion.

4) Forward Motion:

Without making forward motion each day, following through could mean spinning your wheels. To successfully follow through with your goals and missions you must make measurable forward motion each and every day. For instance, if your goal is to get out of debt, the key will be to reverse spending habits until you're making more than you spend each month. The faster you reverse that pattern, the faster you'll become debt-free. As for me, making positive forward motion is one of the ways I gauge my progress each day. Besides writing books, recording albums, and giving concerts, I'm a business owner. I always have quite a few projects in motion. As I endeavor to follow through each day I make it a goal to somehow close the distance between where I am and where I want to be.

5) The Principle of Compound Interest: Albert Einstein said that compound interest was the most powerful force in our society. Following through is much like the principle of compound interest. The longer you stay committed and endure, the more momentum you'll build and the greater the rewards will be. In the beginning you will see very little progress, but gradually you'll begin stacking one success on the other until you pretty soon your momentum will make you a force to be reckoned with.

6) Resilience:

One thing is certain. No matter what your pursuit is, you will experience adversities of every kind. How you respond to each crisis will determine your level of success. The way you interpret each setback will either make you stronger or weaker. Your ability to bounce back positively and constructively will determine how far you will go in life. Remember you only fail if you give up. Resilience is an important trait in following through towards any worthwhile goal.

7) Persistence:

He or she who persists the longest wins. It's that simple. So decide in advance that you will never give up. Remember that successful people fail more than failures do.

8) Time Perspective:

One thing all successful people have in common is they take the long view. That is the preeminent factor, over all others, for successfully following through. Many of the greatest people in history made decisions and sacrifices that didn't pay off for years or even during their own lifetimes. Those who have the longest "time perspective" are the ones who patiently follow through with their plans.

9) Focus:

In our culture it's hard to stay focused. Everywhere we look there are distractions tempting us to lose focus. We will always draw near to what we focus on. By keeping our eye on the ball and continuing to keep on keeping on we will find ourselves following through with less effort.

10) Determination:

Your level of commitment is perhaps the most important of all the traits of successfully following through. It's your own level of commitment, ambition, and desire toward your goals that will become the fuel that keeps you going during hard times. It's your determination that will cause you to come up with creative solutions to obstacles that stand in your path. More importantly, that level of determination will keep you consistently moving forward even in the toughest of times.

The next time you're thinking about how hard it is to follow through on your plans, remember, "Steady on wins the race." So take a few minutes to think about how many of the world's greatest achievements were accomplished. Think about how so many massive fortunes were created. They were realized one step at time, one day at time, while overcoming one setback at a time. They were accomplished by successfully following through.

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by Robin Crow, author of Jump and the Net Will Appear -- September 2002, New World Library, Novato CA -- www.newworldlibrary.com

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