The First Real Iron Man And How To Change Any Game With Consistency
The First Real Iron Man And How To Change Any Game With Consistency
Cal Ripken Jr. played major league baseball for a very long time. There are a lot of people who can make this claim. What no one else in the world can say is that they played in 2,632 straight games. Ripken did not miss a baseball game for the equivalent of 16 straight seasons. He showed up daily regardless of injury, illness, or personal circumstances. His career is synonymous with the term consistency.
Ripken and Reagan in 1986
Even if you don’t like baseball, you have probably heard of the streak. What a lot of non-baseball fans may not know is that besides being an ironman, he also changed how his position was played. At the time, most shortstops were small and fast. Ripken, coming in at 6’4” and 225 pounds, added the dimension of the long ball. He paved the way for all of the power-hitting shortstops who would have careers after him.
Ripken’s ability to consistently show up with excellence changed the game in more ways than one.
What Every New Business Has In Common
At game 1 of Ripken’s streak, no one had any idea that he would be able to play another 2,631 games but we still talk about him because of his amazing consistency. There is no telling how many other guys have tried to complete streaks of their own. Even if we did, they wouldn’t get talked about. There is no history to look at with admiration. Failed businesses are like that as well. Forgotten, with no track record to speak of.
Did you know that 95% of new businesses fail within five years? One of the biggest reasons is because, by definition, they have to go from zero to one. They don’t have a track record to help persuade other people to purchase their product, experience, or service.
Unfortunately, you can’t just go out and buy a track record if there isn’t one. It has to be built day in and day out, just like Ripken’s streak. Once a history has been established, however, it becomes a huge asset that can be bought or sold. Most new business owners fail to understand the importance of this simple concept and the consistency it requires.
The Three Reasons Businesses Fail
A successful track record requires three things: testimonials, product sales, and a customer base. What most people don’t realize is that it takes a huge effort to get momentum in even one of these areas, let alone all three. If you have never done something before you will make mistakes. This is true for new business owners as well and results in inefficiencies for the building phase. If you are not incredibly mentally tough, it is very easy to become inconsistent. This is one of the core reasons 95% of businesses fail within 5 years.
Some people get discouraged by this. I get excited about it because I know that although I can’t control how talented I am, I can control if I show up every day.
