I don’t know about you but I barely limped across the finish line last week. For some reason, last week was HARD. I had a ton of writing commitments and it felt a little like everyone was trying to take their pound of flesh out of me all at once. You know what I’m talking about. I’m sure you’ve been there too. The danger is that it’s easy to get discouraged and want to quit when your world is colored that shade of gray.

So, last night as I was watching the Grammys (and live snarking which makes them that much more fun), I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the woman of the hour, Adele. I know Adele, because I, like so many of you, sing along with her songs in the car pretending I have the same distinctive, throaty style she does. For the record I do not.

In the 60 Minutes interview that preceded the Grammys, Anderson Cooper chatted with the British songbird about what it was about her that had punched through all the noise, what made her a success. In a world of look-at-me celebrities of questionable talent, this is just a woman with a microphone and her voice. No frills, no flash and admittedly, not a size 2.

 

 

Then there’s Jeremy Lin. Being the self-professed, non sports fan that I am, I knew little about him but after reading this piece in Forbes, I’m part of team #Linsanity. Lin, virtually unheard of a scant few weeks ago, is now the go-to guy for the New York Knicks. A hard-working, unassuming good guy, he, like Adele, is not a fan of the glitz and glamor, just a student of the game.

So I started thinking about the lessons we can learn from these two and while there are many, here are four big ones.

  • BE YOURSELF: As the Forbes piece points out, Jeremy Lin is not trying to be Michael Jordan, nor should he; there is only one Michael Jordan. Lin is playing and winning, using a style that works for him. One of the most endearing parts of Adele’s interview with Anderson Cooper came when he asked about gimmicks or lack thereof in her act. She matter-of-factly replied she didn’t have them because she didn’t think she could pull them off. I don’t care what you call it, staying in your lane, operating in your wheelhouse, doing you, whatever it is, the point is we have the best chance at success when we stop trying to be someone else. That works for basketball, music and motherhood.
  • BELIEVE IN YOURSELF: This was a big one for me. Like so many of you, I’ve had my share of ups and downs. And in those down moments, it feels like you’re all alone. That’s when you have to dig REALLY deep. Three weeks ago, Jeremy Lin was relegated to the Knicks practice team in Erie, Pennsylvania. THREE WEEKS AGO! Now he’s the darling of the NBA, picking up hundreds of thousands of followers in the social media universe in just the last several days. Lin knew he had what it took, even if the Knicks management did not. We have to remind ourselves that just because someone else fails to see our talent doesn’t mean it’s not there. Believe in yourself. And I’ll believe in myself, too.
  • DO WHAT YOU MUST TO MAKE IT WORK: According to the Forbes piece, Lin was sleeping on his brother’s sofa until the Knicks picked up and guaranteed his contract.  Sometimes it’s easy to grouse about where you are compared to where you’ve been. There was a time, when I was making much more money than I am now, that I frittered away my pennies without so much as a second thought. Budget? Bah, who needs one? Well, I need one now. I also cut the heat down when everyone leaves the house and bundle up, clip coupons and buy wine that’s on special (You didn’t think I was gonna give up THAT did you?). I know it won’t always be like that but it is for right now. If making sacrifices now will bring me closer to success later, I’m more than willing to do it.
  • WORK YOUR A** OFF: Adele started singing at a very young age. When other kids were doing whatever it is young kids do, she became obsessed with voices and learned what she could. Lin spent years toiling in obscurity, honing his talent. How many of us are willing to do that? Very few, which is why there are very few Adeles and Jeremy Lins. I can honestly say, even at this stage of our careers, my husband and I have never worked as hard as we are right now.  Are there times we want to give up? Of course, then what? Could we go back to the lives we had? Maybe. They’d be stable, with steady paychecks but they’d also be ultimately unfulfilling. No, I don’t see that in us. We’ll keep going, keep singing, keep shooting until the game is over. And there’s no telling when that might be.

Those are just four of the things I take away from these two dominating their various fields. What did I miss? What do you do as you move toward carving out your own success? How do you keep going when you don’t really feel like it?

More on Success:

Why Reinvention Rocks

The Transformation of Rene

Life Lessons: Me!