Do you allow yourself to be slowed down by public opinion, your school advice or the men from Veronica Inside? How many people have chased their dream against all good advice and opinions or seen that change is needed or seen that there are other roads that lead to Rome?
Furthermore, sport is a place where talents are discovered, performances are improved, and coaches and analysts can give their unvarnished opinions. Take the footballer Dirk Kuijt, for example.
Through his dedication and extensive training, he has astounded several “experts.” A move from Utrecht to Feyenoord would certainly not be a success.
Moreover, and the men from VI were certain of it; he had no business at Liverpool and was certainly not a player for the Dutch national team. Yet Louis van Gaal felt that he needed Dirk in five different positions at the 2010 World Cup in Brazil.
Another example of a player who surprises experts every time is Wout Weghorst, who could have joined the family business Avia Weghorst, but fought his way up to become a valued striker in Germany at VFL Wolfsburg, and I wouldn't be surprised if he also becomes important for the Dutch national team in the coming years.
However, even if you have a lot of talent, you are not automatically guaranteed success.
For example, read Wesley Sneijder's biography, in which he honestly explains that as a young boy in Madrid he found it difficult to cope with the wealth, success and attention, and that although he looks back on his career with satisfaction, it could have been so much more.
Ronaldo, however, is quite different; he is about the same age and, in his “old age,” went to Juventus with the challenge of becoming champion in Italy and also becoming top scorer in the third top European football country.
Getting to the top is one thing, but staying at the top is much more difficult, as many successful entrepreneurs know.
Next, changing, moving with the times, seeing and seizing opportunities, and pursuing your dream—that requires special qualities and strong motivation. Churchill once put it aptly: Success comes from moving from one failure to another without losing your enthusiasm.
Competencies that matter today are o.
a.: communicative and social skills, flexibility, creativity (Pippi already knew this 50 years ago).
In addition, knowledge of the market, your competitors and technical developments are of course also essential components to become or remain successful.
Although the earth seems to be warming, there remains a need for heating in our homes.
And if you still sell coal or petroleum, like in the 50s/60s, you won't have many customers anymore, but how many gas-fired central heating systems will still be sold in the Netherlands in 10 years' time?
Furthermore, what does this mean for the installation industry? And what would Sven Kramer have achieved if he were still on wooden skates?
PV had started riding the clap skates? Many companies do not reach their 50th anniversary, and in 10 years millions of jobs will likely have disappeared or changed completely in content, while many new jobs and new companies have emerged.
What are you doing in the meantime? What's your dream? Where do you see opportunities? What skills will you work on? Winners have a goal and losers always have an excuse.
In short, I enjoy challenging entrepreneurs and companies and engaging in a conversation with them about personal development, growth, and/or conducting a business scan for the company, enterprise, or a specific department. Afterwards, we map out the route, and I am happy to be the experienced guide in that process.
Success by doing
I'm going to do what I've never done before!
Bert Geerts, trainer KENNETH SMIT