19th March 2024
There are two sure ways to fail: Think and never do, or do and never think.
When I started my career, one of the first things I was taught was to follow the K.I.S.S. principle, i.e. “Keep It Simple, Stupid.”
Communicate in such a way that your message is unmistakably clear. If the message is not clear, the prospect ends up confused, and a confused person seldom takes action.
This advice can be followed in any field of endeavor.
For example, in marathon running today, the use of sports psychologists, computerized training regimens, and state-of-the-art running shoes are in vogue.
Perhaps all of that is necessary if you want to win the big race. I’m not denying these things help, but Toshihiko Seko didn’t need them.
When Seko won the Boston Marathon in 1981, His answer to a question by a journalist was, “My training program is very simple, and Seko explained it with twelve words: “I run ten kilometers in the morning and twenty in the evening.”
At this point you probably think, There’s a catch, But this plan enabled him to outrun the world’s greatest, fastest, most gifted runners.
When Seko was told that his plan seemed too simple compared to that of other marathoners, he replied, “The plan is simple, but I do it every single day, 365 days a year.”
Simple? Yes.
Easy? No.
It is my conviction that most people fail to reach their goals not because their plans are too simple or too complicated, but most people fail to reach their goals because they’re not committed and willing to follow their plans.
Many of our goals do not require detailed plans, but all of them require that we follow the plan we have.
Seko’s plan was effective because he followed it every day without fail.
In the words of Steve Jobs: “Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”
You can’t get simpler than that! Follow Toshihiko Seko’s example; make certain your plan to reach your goal is simple, then follow it rigorously & stay blessed forever.