Ok, So I have given you some click bait, there isn't really just one thing. There isn't a quality or skill that rules above all. People who are elite in their industry do many things better than their rivals, and usually, over a longer period of time.
(I'm not sorry for the click bait either, if it got you here)
Through my experience, however, there is something that has been a constant in all my acceleration periods.
By acceleration periods, I mean periods in my career where I have gone to a new level, in a time frame that is quicker than the average.
This is something that, at first, you might skim over, I know I did. In fact, it wasn't until very recently, when going through old journal entries, that I realised the commonality of it.
* Side note - This is why journaling is key!
Desperation.
This is what I believe can make a difference between making progress or not, and, making progress in remarkably quick time, when compared to others.
Desperation sounds like a horrible quality. When you think desperate, you think of people lowering their standards. You think images relating to beer goggles, nights out and... you know the rest.
But, let me tell you, desperation is not horrible, it is essential if you want progress.
Here is how.
Scenario 1 - I relocated to Leeds in 2017 with one months' worth of money in my account and zero clients in my new gym. Once my first rent payment was made and other expenses accounted for, I had £400 left. I knew I had to get 20 hours of PT filled in the next 4 weeks. for anyone who has PT'd before, you will know that isn't easy. But guess what? I did. You know why? I was desperate. If it didn't work, I would have been in big trouble.
Scenario 2 - Same thing 2 years later. I moved gyms with the intention to work with fighters only. In the first week, I lost every single client I had due to travel, family issues, you name it, it happened. I had zero clients, no income and bills, rent and other expenses to pay out for. Within 2 weeks I had 15 clients. Not only that, but they were also all fighters. I did this because I had to. There was no other option.
If you look at success stories in an industry, you will see this common theme. The rock had $7 to his name at one point, Stallone refusing to not be the main character in Rocky, despite being broke and having $50k offered to him, I could go on.
All these people reached a point on desperation.
Brendon Burchard refers to this as necessity but it's all the same. It's working towards something with 100% refusal to fail.
Desperation doesn't sound quite so bad now does it.
Whatever you call it, you need it.
It can be the difference.