Get The Edge

Ivan Lendl was the world's number #1 ranked tennis player during the 1980s around the time of John McEnroe.  Was he the most talented individual of his day?  No, but it was his work ethic, his dedication and his routines and rituals that made all the difference.

He was renowned for his adherence to strict diet and exercise schedules precisely timed and thoroughly rehearsed in every facet.  His modern day equivalent is, of course, Tiger Woods whose similar dedication to the management of every aspect of his life has enabled him to become the highest paid sports star in the world today.

So what can the aspiring Internet Marketer or entrepreneur take from these stories?  I take this away from the story and add a further example from my own mind rather than the two above I have stolen from Jim Loehr & Tony Schwartz's 'The Power Of Full Engagement':  1. That Eminence occurs only as the congregation of extremes of talent, effort, and perseverance; 2. That because nature is inherently cyclical we need to manage times for rest, fun and pursuit of enjoyable activities as consciously as that of work to ensure that the downtime is also productive, albeit with a different outcome from work.

The example I will use to illustrate this point is that of Salvador Dali whose prints have graced the walls of many of my abodes and who was a stunning example of how eminence is not just about extreme talent but years of consistent effort in the face of adversity and the risk of loss.  After attending the Salvador Dali museum in London and the exhibition of his works while on show recently in Melbourne I feel somewhat qualified to give a lay impression of the man.  He worked tirelessly in spite of his wealth and influence with artists of the time to produce an extraordinary body of work.  He even began a movie with Walt Disney (email me for access to a copy).

As one final example consider one of the most revered artists in modern history, Leonardo da Vinci and his contributions to the world in comparison to Michelangelo.  While both are each considered masters, it was Michelangelo who positioned himself as having blue blood, while at one time Da Vinci was considered unemployable for his insistence on forever polishing his paintings (and thus never finishing them).  In my humble opinion I would rather be remembered as a Michelangelo than a Da Vinci