Roger Bannister
Sir Roger Bannister just passed away at age 88. He was the first person to break the 4 minute mile running the mile in 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds. .5 of a second gave him sports immortality. Actually, I remember when he broke the 4 minute mile. I was hanging out with some friends when someone came over and told us about it. Soon afterwards the floodgates opened and many others also beat the 4 minute mile.
Last Tuesday I wrote about Lindsey Vonn losing the downhill by about a half second. 3:59.4 is half of a second below that 4 minute magic number. A blink takes longer. In his autobiography Bannister tells how every detail mattered and made a difference. That is what last week’s blog was about – the small details that make big differences.
For some reason the 4 minute mile was a barrier that couldn’t be overcome…until it was. Once overcome, there was a new barrier and the old one no longer created the fence for which people could not surmount. Human nature and in particular business is a lot like that. Many tend to avoid new things, new challenges, new tests, or any type of change preferring the comfort of the familiar.
The really successful people do not see barriers, only opportunities. They do not let others create blockades for them but look to see how they can create new ground and possibly the walls for those behind them. They are egocentric in a productive way blocking out the noise created by the naysayers and spectators. They look beyond what is and toward the benefits that can be. They need thick skin and an arrogance and obsession to succeed and need to summarily shove aside the criticism from people that are afraid or missteps or of treading outside their comfort zones.
Be a trail blazer. Don’t let the barriers stop your quests. Be like a Roger Bannister!
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