If you’re not first, you’re last

If you're not first, you're last | Ricky Bobby, Talladega Nights

How many people remember who came in second, third, fourth or fifth place? Not many. In fact, if you’re not first, you’re last if you ask me.

What does it mean to be number one?

Being number one in any area – whether it’s the Valedictorian of your graduating class, or the head honcho at your job, means you are the man (or woman).  With it, also comes added scrutiny.

So why would you want to be first and not second, third, fourth or fifth and have less pressure?  Because no one cares who came in second, they only care about who’s in first.

In fact, that’s how you should treat anything that you do. You WANT to be first. You WANT to be on-top. You WANT to be scrutinized because the more pressure that is put on you, the more you’ll rise to the occasion and elevate your game.

Additionally, being first affords you the opportunity to lead the pack – just look at Apple and Facebook, they’re leaders in their industry. Anytime they make a move, the rest of the industry tries to keep up. Look at what you do now in your field. Are you a follower or a leader? Most likely, you’re a follower, but you can change that.

Now I know what you’re thinking – someone is already first in my field, I can’t change that – yes you can! It just means you’re going to have to work harder, build more relationships, and do things better than the competition, that is unless you’re ok with not being the leader, the one out front driving others.

Take some time to think about it, do you want to be first or last? I know which one I would choose. How about you?