The expression “Close, but no cigar” started in the U.S. in the twentieth century, and is said to originate from the practice of fairground stalls giving out cigars as prizes. This phrase would be said to those who failed to win a prize. “She made a good attempt at catching the baseball. Close, but no cigar.”
Second Place Sucks. And there is a reason.
Jerry Seinfeld once did a monologue about being a silver medalist. It was really funny, but Jerry did his homework. Research has shown us that psychologically, we struggle with second place. If we get third, we are fired up because, hey, we made it to the podium! But as Seinfeld humorously points out about coming in second place,
“Out of all the losers, you were the first to come in.”
Even as I type this, I am in a belly laugh. Google the monologue on YouTube. It’s worth it.
But another thought on the matter. And it’s not funny. It’s the sobering realization that we’ve become satisfied with getting close to what we want. Why? Too frickin’ soft. And it’s mindset. If you are in your thirties, it’s easy to rally. But your forties or fifties? Not so easy.
I am offering a free webinar on how to crush this problem
and finally get on top of it.
HERE IS A PREVIEW:
Solution?
- Do not process unwanted thoughts
- Follow your Beliefs, stop looking at others
- Focus on the Process more than the Outcome
- Learn how to process and leverage Criticism
- Look for the lesson more than the Reward
- Before you Fail, Pivot
- After you Fail, Pivot
I can’t get you to hate coming in second place, or to hate mediocrity, but I can invite you to something FREE you can build on. Click the link here and schedule a call.