Why Not Three Points?
by Mariah Burton Nelson   

"Why isn't this newsletter called Three Points?" asks Rebecca Morgan, a reader from San Jose, Calif. "That's the most one can make per basket, and a player who can make those shots consistently stands out from the crowd."

Check out the newsletter's subtitle: "Because Success Happens One Basket at a Time." Usually, success happens as a result of continuous effort and commitment applied toward small, achievable goals, not as a result of impressive "long shots." Success happens because we have done the simple things right, over and over again. Through hard work and discipline, those simple things add up to achievements that make us proud.

Many people misguidedly focus on flashy goals instead. A comic I know wants to appear on "Leno" or "Letterman." For him, as for most comics, this is indeed a long shot, but he fervently believes that if he can just get this big break, the national exposure will pay off big time, making his career.

He's probably right that such an appearance would open doors. But if he spends more time preparing promotional packets for Jay and Dave than practicing his routines, he's misguided.

"I've been playing trumpet for almost 40 years, and I still practice the simple things every day," says Chris Gekker, one of the world's greatest classical trumpet players. A professor at the University of Maryland, Gekker gives solo performances in Carnegie Hall. Composers write music just for him. Yet he still works on "the simple things" every day because that's precisely where greatness comes from.

One person plus one lifelong commitment to diligence plus two points scored at every available opportunity add up to a long, rewarding career that's not dependent upon a big break or other external events.

That's why I call the newsletter Two Points: Because as far as I can tell, in most cases, success happens one humble little basket at a time.

Point #1: The path to success is rarely spectacular.

Point #2: To achieve your goals, point your two feet in the right direction, and take one step at a time toward success.

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