Reader:

Who is standing between you and the success you say you want?

If you prefer the video version, click the image below.

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Who is Your Toughest Opponent?

Let’s do a short exercise.

Think about your toughest opponent.

It could be a person or a group:

• ​Someone competing with you​
• ​Someone you can learn from​
• ​Someone who is where you want to be​

Who is it?
Write down their name: _________________________________________

Now consider:

• What are their strengths?
• What can you learn from their successes—and their failures?
• What must you do—or give up—to overtake them?

Now here’s the truth:

Your toughest opponent isn’t them—it’s you.

Not your competition. Not your circumstances.
The habits you tolerate. The effort you avoid. The standards you accept.

You are competing with yourself every day:

• ​What you choose to learn​
• ​What you choose to practice​
• ​What you choose to avoid​

The gap between where you are and where you want to be is rarely external.

It’s:

• ​The excuses you allow​
• ​The discipline you delay​
• ​The standards you lower when no one is watching​

Excellence requires consistent effort.

Success doesn’t require more information.
It requires a decision to change your behavior.

As Robert Townsend said:
“If you don’t do it excellently, don’t do it at all.”

NBA coach Pat Riley introduced a concept called Career Best Effort (CBE)—designed to defeat complacency.

Complacency is choosing comfort over improvement.

CBE is simple:

• Measure your performance honestly
• Improve it—even by 1% each day

Small, daily improvements create long-term excellence.

Also remember:
Your goals require specific skills.

If you don’t have them:
👉 Learn them
👉 Practice them
👉 Master them

You can’t win a swim meet if you can’t swim.
You can’t win a debate if you can’t communicate.

Your success depends on your willingness to develop the skills required.

So, remember:

Your toughest opponent is yourself.

When you raise your standards, commit to improvement, and push past your comfort zone—you win.

If you’d like help identifying what may be holding you back—and building a clear plan for improvement—let’s connect.

And remember:
​ Information without transformation is wasted energy.

If you’d like to see this put into action, here’s today’s short video.​

That is today’s Morning Minute.

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Please feel free to share this message with anyone who made be helped by its contents.

Even better, you may use this message and/or video as a discussion starter for any manager, senior leader, or organizational meeting.

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Looking for a great way to help your graduate develop the skills required for success in today's business world? Check out the instruction and inspiration in Larry's team building and leadership book. Click the image for instant access via AMAZON.

Here are some recent Morning Minutes you may have missed with actionable ideas, useful instruction, and step-by-step methods to help you, your family, and/or your team to be more, do more, and achieve more.

​"Second Chances - When & How to Use Them!" The right decision will impact more than just 1 person. Today's message includes 2 stories of individuals who were given second chances. They both excelled after making very bad decisions. Learn from their mistakes. And, discover how that the decisions to grant them a 2nd chance for beneficial for the person, the team, and those served by the teams.

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​"Who Are You Striving to Become?" Is who you are today, moving you closer to, or farther from, the person you want to be? Discover the 7 major attributes of winning leaders, coaches, and business owners. Learn how that those who possess these attributes can make the move from employee to employer. See how these apply to your successful career path.

​"Your Telephone" Ally or Enemy?" This is one of your most powerful tools - often used the wrong way. Encounter a common call coming to you where after you answer there is a 9 second delay and the caller says "Hello?" Learn some simple ways to strengthen your teams phone performance a) before they are hired b) during their initial training and c) via continuous improvement training after they start.

​"The Return of Responsibility!" Are we witnessing a shift in the next generation? Discover how that they are slowly moving away from entitlement and self promotion to lives of service, responsibility, and discipline. Learn how that we, as adults, may effectively support their effort to improve by listening, setting a positive example, plus praying for and with them.

​"Raise Kids Who WIN in Life!" There is a difference in making kids lives easier vs making their lives successful. Discover the 3 personal traits that will guide your children in their successful transition from being infants to being successful adults. Learn how that respect leads to good habits, then to discipline. And, how that character leads to successful lives!

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May the peace and inspiration derived from Jesus's resurrection on Easter be with you all throughout this year!

May God bless you, your family, and your team!

Larry A. Bonorato 864-630-2625 lab@larryonlearning.com​

(published by the Bonorato Creative Group; all rights reserved)