TEN DIGITS

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.” This quote from Aristotle accentuates the importance of consistent efforts to achieve success. 

All of us have goals we want to achieve. These can be short-term such as getting a high score on the next exam, or a long-term one such as graduating with honors. Whatever these may be, they all start with a single small step. Some goals cannot be achieved overnight. They may take multiple repetitions to do one task and continuous practice to gain mastery. The most important step is deciding to start immediately and somewhere. This would create a habit so that whatever you’re doing now becomes easier the next time around. It is with these repetitive and continuous actions that we continue to learn how we can achieve our goals.

Achievements do not come without challenges. Oftentimes there will be difficulties and surprises along the way. There are many stories from successful individuals like J.K. Rowling, Jack Ma, and Henry Sy who have had their shares of failure–they were rejected many, many times before they got their huge break. In the case of Harry Potter series author J.K. Rowling, she was rejected 13 times before her books got a chance to be published. Alibaba founder Jack Ma applied for 30 jobs and got rejected in all of them. Henry Sy had to sell shoes and learn the local language to provide for his own needs. 

This is why perseverance and determination are both important for success. In failures, the decision to try again is a test of one’s character and commitment to one’s goal. Having a strong support system from families, friends, or role models may also help to get through disappointments and setbacks. 

There will be times when a goal will not be met despite the full efforts given, like when we study diligently for an exam but do not achieve the target score; or when a great talent performance does not make it into the eliminations of a contest. These kinds of setbacks do not mean failure and should not stop us from getting back up. Each failed attempt will give new experiences and learnings to us, and these will never be taken away. The skills, experiences, and learnings gained will build one’s character and will be useful for future endeavors and goals.

We must always strive to learn and try new things. Experience leads to mastery. Failure leads to strength of character. Both are key elements to achieving goals in life.