Become Brilliant on the Basics

Become Brilliant on the Basics

Success in all its forms consists of simple fundamentals.

- Professionals respect while amateurs loathe them.

- Professionals master while amateurs neglect them.

- Professionals practice while amateurs undermine them.

Whether you refer to them as the ABC's, 123's, rudimentary skills, basics, foundational principles, universal truths, elementary steps, or simply as square one, the fundamentals are the foundational building blocks on which all success stands.

In my career as a i-commerce business expert and coach, I am constantly reminded of, and reminding others about the importance of becoming brilliant and well-disciplined on the basics.

Why?

Because, success is neither magical nor mysterious, it's neither complex nor confusing.

Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals.

A foundation anchors your house to the earth, holding it up and, just as importantly, holding it down. A well constructed, rock solid foundation will last several lifetimes, while a poor foundation will forever remain unstable.

The foundation must be strong enough to shoulder the entire weight of the house, as everything built into the house becomes vulnerable or strengthened by the quality of the foundation.

When well constructed, foundations escape notice, quietly doing their thing below grade. But when they begin to fail, their weakness is quickly exposed along with the fingerprints of mediocrity and incompetence.

When constructing a house, there is nothing more fundamental than a firm foundation. The same applies in every aspect of life. Anything of quality and durability is constructed carefully, patiently and lovingly to ensure a proper end result.

Fundamentals are basics; they are important because they are something that other things can be successfully built upon.

Success in any sport, career, or hobby is built on a foundation of timeless, universal, and pragmatic principles.

From accounting to astrophysics, education to engineering, fly-fishing to firefighting, computer programming to construction, rock climbing to rocket science, and from raising kids to raising capital, all consist of fundamental principles and each fundamental counts.

Eight Fundamental Rules

1. Fundamentals Come First

You must learn these before anything else. Strong foundations are built on strong fundamentals; there is no shortcut to mastery.

You must crawl before you walk, ski the bunny hill before attempting the double diamond trails, and you must learn the fundamentals first.

2. Fundamentals are Simple

Anything and everything is based on a foundation of simple truths. Even quantum physics is simple once you learn the fundamentals.

Our minds create fallacies of complexity which betray us so often that we fail to see the simplicity which is hiding in plain sight.

3. Fundamentals Require Patience

Rome wasn't built in a day and they were using local, well-trained help.

While fundamentals are always simple, they conversely require time and patience to be understood. The process of trial and error correction is different for each person.

4. Fundamentals Must Be Mastered

The objective is and will always be to become brilliant on the basics.

In order to perform at the top of your abilities, you must become a master at your trade. There is no other way to personal excellence; you must pay your dues in advance and in full.

5. Fundamentals Require Practice

Everybody loves a great performance and behind every great performance is the consistent practice and reinforcement of the fundamentals.

Repetition is everything, as the quality of your performance will never exceed the quality of your practice.

6. Fundamentals are Universal

When it comes to fundamentals it really is a one size fits all world.

The wonderful part about fundamentals is that it provides a level playing.

For anything to be mastered everyone must pass the same test. No one gets a passing grade simply for showing up.

7. Fundamentals Once Lost are Found in Humility

The minute a performer gets away from the fundamentals-whether it is proper technique, work ethic, or mental preparation-her entire game begins to break down.

This inevitably leads to embarrassment, missed opportunity and finally to a helping of humble pie.

Humility leads you back home, to the fundamentals of success.

8. Fundamentals Never Change

There is nothing new under the sun.

The fundamentals of investing, raising kids, mathematics, science, accounting... you name it have been identified, in place and will not be changing anytime soon.

There is nothing more fundamental to success than making everything you do count.

Meticulous attention to details, focusing on superior quality, proper preparation and planning, well crafted strategy, consistency of purpose, flawless execution, exemplary character, uncompromising standards and the discipline to honor each commitment is how we make everything count.

In times of high uncertainty, companies understandably tend to get carried away by a dizzying array of management fads.

But to avoid distraction, management must stay focused on the key fundamentals, which shape the business landscape.

You must never choose fad over fundamentals. I repeat: you must never choose fad over fundamentals.

Stay The Course
Your Coach
Bill