I love inspirational movies and TV shows. Whenever I feel unmotivated or dejected, watching one lifts my mood and gives me that extra push that I need. What do all these movies and shows have in common? What makes them so inspirational and heartwarming?

It’s the characteristic of every show to have a protagonist who has all odds stacked against them – to have seemingly insurmountable challenges and yet emerge victorious at the end of it all. So, what do the characters of these shows have to have a happy ending? In this article, let’s delve into what goes inside the mind of a true winner and a star of their own story. What does it take to be a champion, especially in a real-life business?

I’m going to teach you how to achieve just that, which I believe starts with raising your B.A.R.

Believe Immediately

One of my favourite quotes is by Napoleon Hill, an American self-help author, who states that “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” The mind is a powerful instrument, and as a leader myself, I’ve always considered this as the first step to greatness. If I didn’t believe in myself, in my goals, or my aspirations, my businesses wouldn’t be standing today, nor would I be writing this article! Starting a business is no joke, and it takes a lot of energy and resources.

I remember when others, even my friends, didn’t believe that I could make it. But I sucked it all up and worked hard to prove them wrong.

An entrepreneur who has no vision and does not believe in himself might as well consider himself a failure.

I recently watched the movie “The Founder,” which tells the story of Ray Kroc, who went from being a milkshake mixer salesman to the multimillionaire owner of the McDonald’s Corporation. In the movie, Ray had to start from nothing, with everyone telling him that his business idea was bound to fail. Nonetheless, he never lost faith in himself, and his pitch idea later blossomed into a burgeoning business empire.

No one achieves a happy ending without first believing in himself. There’s power in believing, and once you believe, you’re already halfway there.

Act Fearlessly

Sometimes we are crippled by fear – of change, of the unknown, and of failure. One of the icons I look up to, Vinod Khosla, once said, “Fear is a four-letter word that can haunt even the most promising of startups and entrepreneurs.” While this may be true, we should not allow fear to paralyse us! Fear is often the root of stagnation, resistance or inflexibility, which in turn could become the impediment to your continued growth.

The movie “The Pursuit of Happyness” really showed me that I should not be afraid to take risks, because even if I fail, there will be lessons to be gained from that failure. In the business world, we should see all the consequences of our actions as teachable moments, and only then can we act without fear.

Go and pitch your idea to that investor. Innovate and inject fresh ideas into your solutions, and learn new things to expand your knowledge. You must swallow your doubts and fears because your business can never reach greater heights if you are confined to your comfort zones.

Review Constantly

While having enough passion and courage is vital, we must not grow complacent and reckless. I’ve learned through my experience that while believing and acting fearlessly can get your legs running, reviewing constantly will make sure that you will not stray from the finish line. I guess this is something that they do not often highlight in the movies.

One wrong move can hurt your profit or image. I remember telling my colleagues that in this ever-changing world, we must always catch up – check if our strategies align with the signs of the times, and look for new ways to engage our consumers.

Business is a two-way street; it is vital to stay in tune with the input coming from customers, investors, and other parties through surveys, dialogues, and constant research. This is how a business manages to thrive in this evolving society, and this is how an entrepreneur truly succeeds.

I hope you’ve all picked up some useful business tidbits from this article, and not just the movie recommendations that I gave (but seriously, you should try watching them in your spare time). In business and life, may these pointers allow you to truly raise your B.A.R.

Henry Ford said “whether you believe you can or you can’t, you’re right,” and you absolutely can check out this video and learn more about how to raise the bar: Raise Your B.A.R.

 

To your success,

Mario

[Visit www.mariosingh.com now to enjoy a FREE e-book of my latest “37 Essential Principles for Massive Success” when you subscribe!]