The Trait That Guarantees Success

Feb. 14, 2020

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Wow, those strokes are awful. 

That’s what was going through my mind during my first lesson with this new student.

Everything she does is wrong.

The forehand had a grip that defied the laws of physics. The backhand looked pushy. And the slice? What in the world was up with that slice?

And the serve might have been the worst thing of all.

But I noticed something right away.

She hit every ball in.

The strokes were ugly, but they didn’t go out.

That’s when I knew.

Technique can be learned. Strategies can be ingrained. Fitness can be improved.

But none of those really matter if the ball doesn’t go in.

The fact that she hit everything in with unthinkable strokes lead to the excitement-generating next question: How good would she be if she had tools that actually worked?

As it turned out, the answer to that question was: pretty freaking awesome.

She ended up being ranked one of the top 10 players in the country.

When trying to figure out who can be great, it really comes down to one thing: will they try to solve the problem, no matter what situation they’re in?

Anyone can get distracted. If you watch the geniuses on TV, you’ll see incredible forehands, supreme fitness, 140 mph serves. It’s easy to get focused on trying to emulate the flashy stuff.

But all of that comes later.

What comes first is the complete willingness to solve problems.

There’s an old saying: beware of the good player with bad grips.

Why beware? Because the people with bad grips have become good with bad form. That means they’re world-class problem solvers, and those people are h-a-r-d to beat.

The next level is good players with good grips, and they’re the muliti-millionaires on TV.

If you’re looking to find the next prodigy or hire the next great CEO or become a superstar yourself, one thing will inevitably get you there.

Always try to solve the problem.

No matter what.

My book is called The Inevitability of Becoming Rich, and you can find that here.