We all have gurus or mentors who dazzle us with their words, thoughts, actions and achievements. For me, one such guru is Robin Sharma, whose books, motivational talks and personal blogs are always inspiring.

A motto that Sharma borrowed from comedian Steve Martin, “Be so good [that] they can’t ignore you,” is absolutely true. I think it is great advice for kids and adults alike. In his latest book, The Greatness Guide, Book 2: 100 More Insights To Get You To World Class, Sharma writes: “Sometimes discouragement sets it. Happens to all of us. We try hard, stay true to our dreams and pursue our ideals. Yet nothing happens. Or so it seems. But every choice matters. And every step counts.

“Life runs according to its own agenda, not ours. Be patient. Trust. Be like the stonecutter, steadily chipping away, day after day. Eventually, a single blow will crack the stone and reveal the diamond. An enthusiastic, dedicated person who is ridiculously good at what they do just cannot be denied. “

So when you apply this attitude, whether it’s on the hockey rink or football field, in a ballet, yoga or spinning class, at home with your loved ones, at work, at play, in your community and even in the world at large, you can’t lose. “Having the courage to present your gifts and your highest capacities will yield magnificent rewards. Life is always fair in the end. Trust it,” Sharma says.

So where do we trip up? Well, often we lack patience, and we don’t practise hard enough. Piano lessons are a perfect example of this. How many children have stopped playing piano altogether because practising was way too hard, and when children don’t practise, it means they don’t enjoy it very much. Ironically, what is needed is to practise even more.

We have a wonderful piano teacher, Melanie, who obviously figured this out, and asked our children to practise twice a day. Our son, who is brilliant when he tries but wasn’t practising as much as he could, now springs out of bed in the morning to practise the piano and then does it again at night. Our daughter, who was already practising every day, will now sometimes practise four times a day. So what’s happening is they are enjoying it even more, because every time they practise, they get better at it, and they know it, and as a result, they love playing the piano.

“The best practice is practise,” says Sharma. He talks about how cyclist Lance Armstrong could never have won the tour de France without his daily disciplined regimen and how basketball player Steve Nash would never give up on his “crushing daily workouts and post-game analyses. How can you get better if you don’t practise? Success just doesn’t occur. The finest things in life take patience, focus and sacrifice. To get to world class, you need to work at it. Daily. Relentlessly. Passionately.”’

We do improve dramatically when we work at it. Daily hard work does amount to staggering results over time. So if patience and practice help us achieve brilliant results, how do we stay patient when things are not happening as quickly as we’d hoped?

Well, it helps to look at the big picture and pat yourself on the back for the good work you have done and are doing. And be patient not only with yourself, but with others as well.

Also, take heed of what Martin believes, “Be so good [that] they can’t ignore you.” He achieved success by figuring out what the masters in the field were doing and then doing it even better. He also never let himself lose focus and would work on one project or goal at a time and master it, before moving on to the next challenge. His excellence, determination and single-minded focus separate him from all the rest, making him arguably one of the funniest and most talented performers in the entertainment industry.

What will you do to be so good in your life, work or community, that they can’t ignore you?

Judy Siblin-Librach is an Adler-trained coach. Website: www.findingyourbliss.com, e-mail: [email protected].