We humans can sometimes be funny creatures. If we want something that we don’t have we think we can go after it full throttle, eyes fixed on the target, “let’s get the big one” we say. Well, it’s not like that, as any successful person would tell you. The way to the big prize is littered with many small prizes, which eventually attracts the big prize.

Yes, keep your eyes on the big prize but don’t ignore the signposts on the way.

The following 3 thought patterns will help you to achieve success:

• Don’t set your sights and expectations too high, for you may prevent the very success that you are due. Learn to love small successes, cherish them, talk about them and be encouraged by them.



• Isn’t it true that when you walk somewhere you walk a step at a time-you don’t take a giant step, do you?



• Always try to do a bit more of what you need to do…success loves the extra.

Consider the following story:

There was a young man who was intent upon searching for the truth. So one day he packed a small bag and set out for the mountains to search for truth. He walked all day searching, looking for truth. The food and water he had was running out. He was getting hungry, thirsty and tired and looked for a place to stay for the night. (It didn’t yet occur to him that that was part of the truth…)

He saw a small hut where a light was flickering. He knocked on the door. The door opened by an old man who had a wise look about him. The young man asked him if he could stay for the night and have some food. The old man said, “sure, it will cost you 2 dollars” the young man said “I have no money, I am a searcher for the truth”. The wise old man looked at the young man and said “down in the valley are many colored balls, green ones, which are worth 50 cents each, blue ones, which are worth 5 cents each and red balls, which are worth 1 cent each. Find 2 dollars worth of color balls and you can stay here”.

The young man ran to the valley to look for green balls. He searched and searched but alas could find none. He did see one red ball but decided not to bother. He kept looking for green. Meanwhile, darkness set and he could see no more. He found a small ditch in the ground, covered him self with dry leaves and went to sleep, cold, hungry and thirsty.

At the crack of dawn he got up and started to look for green balls again. He found nothing. By mid-day he was really exhausted, more desperate than he ever was and no color balls found. In his desperation he decided to go and pick up the red ball he saw the day before. Sure enough, it was there. He picked it up, put it in his hat and he noticed that his feeling changed instantly. From having nothing he now had something. He decided to look for any color ball he could find. He found another red ball, and another, and another. Suddenly, from the corner of his eye he saw a blue ball that he was sure he was there before but hadn’t seen it. He kept looking, this time without expectations of finding only green balls, and found another red and blue and red and suddenly, there it was… a green ball… he knew he was there before but had not seen the green ball.

To make a long story short, the young man realized that the key to finding the green and blue balls were the red balls. He so got caught in the search that he didn’t even realize that his hat had more green balls than he needed. Curiously his feeling of being tired and hungry disappeared and he was flooded with the joy of his success. He went back to hut of the old wise man and before he could knock the door was wide open for him.

Yes, this mind set works for professionals in the 21st century as well… in fact more so than ever. Your red balls are the small things you do well, with special quality of care and attention to details and thoroughness.

It is in the extra!


Eli Harari
The Thinking Coach

The Thinking Coach designs first class leadership courses for outstanding professionals, seminars that culminate experience of quarter of a century with thousands of professionals world-wide. These are out-of-the-box seminars, relevant to now and to the future. These seminars are rich with life wisdoms that are vital to modern leadership, the ability to handle changes, think strategically and think out of the box.

Please visit our website for more information at www.thethinkingcoach.com
Tel:561-758-5048