Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re probably right.
Henry Ford
1863 – 1947

Like most children, I heard Aesop’s Fable about the Tortoise and the Hare when I was growing up. The thing I remember most about the story was the moral: “Slow and steady wins the race.”

But there’s an equally important lesson that I hadn’t recognized until I recently read the fable again. For your benefit, here’s the story; see if you can spot the lesson I’d failed to grasp all these years.

A Hare one day ridiculed the short feet and slow pace of the Tortoise, who replied, laughing: “Though you be swift as the wind, I will beat you in a race.” The Hare, believing her assertion to be simply impossible, assented to the proposal; and they agreed that the Fox should choose the course and fix the goal. On the day appointed for the race, the two started together. The Tortoise never for a moment stopped, but went on with a slow but steady pace straight to the end of the course. The Hare, lying down by the wayside, fell fast asleep. At last waking up, and moving as fast as he could, he saw the Tortoise had reached the goal and was comfortably dozing after her fatigue. Slow but steady wins the race.

Did you find the lesson I had missed?

I’m in total agreement with the moral of the story; slow and steady is the best approach to reach your goal. But there’s another very important lesson, and I hope you noticed it.

The tortoise said “I will beat you in a race.” The tortoise believed it could win the race.

I had always focused on the last line of the story. But if you truly want to accomplish something, you need to believe you can do it.

The tortoise wasn’t cocky or arrogant. She realized that the hare was easily distracted and couldn’t stay focused. But in your personal situation, you may not have such obvious benefits. So how do you develop that firm belief that you can achieve your goals?

The first thing is to acknowledge that with work, you can change things. Instead of saying “I can’t,” say “I can’t, yet.” Look at others who achieved seemingly impossible goals and study what they did. Generally, it wasn’t talent but persistence that got them to the finish line.

Approach your goals with positive expectations and have the determination of the tortoise; the right mindset goes a long way towards ensuring your success.

The outer conditions of a person’s life will always be found to reflect their inner beliefs.
James Allen
1864 – 1912

Copyright © 2013 John Chancellor