My research towards completing my PHD has led me to accept that our wonderful planet is filled with three types of people. “Winners” – These are people who know what they want, have a crystal clear vision and they understand and believe in their potential. These are the people who tackle life head on and achieve greatness. Then of course on the other side of the spectrum is what I refer to as “SOS” (Sacks of S%$T) – I have toyed with many different terms for these people, but everyone I speak to including all academics, agree that this is a very descriptive and appropriate term for them. These people refuse to do anything meaningful with their potential. They just sit back; never do anything that will take them outside their comfort zone. Thus they allow circumstances to shape their lives and self-image. They simply refuse to make a difference in their lives.

1. Do you believe that Behavioural “Shift Happens”?
andrewhorton.co.za /motivational-speakers-shif t-happens-2/
My research towards completing my PHD has led me to accept that our wonderful planet is filled with three types of
people. “Winners” – These are people who know what they want, have a crystal clear vision and they understand and
believe in their potential. These are the people who tackle life head on and achieve greatness. Then of course on the
other side of the spectrum is what I refer to as “SOS” (Sacks of S%$T) – I have toyed with many different terms for these
people, but everyone I speak to including all academics, agree that this is a very descriptive and appropriate term for
them. These people refuse to do anything meaningful with their potential. They just sit back; never do anything that will
take them outside their comfort zone. Thus they allow circumstances to shape their lives and self-image. They simply
refuse to make a difference in their lives.
Winners in Waiting
Then there is the third group, which really excite me the most, because of the potential they have to turn themselves into
winners. I refer to this group as “Winners in Waiting”. This group of people live lives, where if they are given the right
support and guidance, they can shift towards being part of the group of winners. The challenge with this group though, is
that they can also easily slip towards the “SOS” side of the spectrum. Remember that attention flows, where attention
goes. So if left alone to their own devices, winners in waiting will tend towards the dark side.
I believe that winners in waiting live lives, which are out of alignment. They need support and guidance to allow them to
become the winners they can be. Perhaps they have tried before, encountered a bump in the road and got knocked off
course. Or maybe they feel like they do not have what it takes to achieve greatness. There are many different reasons
why these people may have been led away from the unlimited possibilities, which await them. Winners in waiting are not
the lost souls, I refer to as SOS. They just need a little guidance and support. Their lives can be turned around
completely if they receive the right coaching and a little tweaking of their daily routines. These people can easily be
guided to greatness; all they need is support to firstly use their gift of imagination, to travel into the future. Where they can
search around, looking for what they would like to achieve when they get there one day. They must then pack a suitcase
filled with all these possibilities, which they then bring back to today.
Vision
Slowly unpacking and sorting through this suitcase of possibility, they need to choose all the possibilities, which really
inspire them. Using these pictures of possibility, they must craft a vision statement, which really inspires them and drives
them to take action daily.
Belief
Yes of course, winners in waiting may have been knocked off course a few times. The secret to success starts with
clarifying a vision, which has meaning to you and then uncovering ways you can believe it is possible for you to achieve
it. Start small and slowly build your confidence, by achieving small victories every day. As your confidence grows, start
to gradually stretch yourself to do bigger and bigger things. The secret is to always remember that you are no different
to anyone else. Everyone encounters challenges, even winners. The difference is that winners believe in themselves
and always pick themselves up after every fall.
Reason Why
The secret to getting up after every fall is to have a huge reason why you want to succeed. Let me give you an example
to explain this point a little better. If I placed a plank on the ground and offered you $ 1000 to walk across it, I am sure
that you would gladly skip across the plank and take my money. What if I took that same plank and placed it as a
bridge, at the top of the PETRONAS Towers in Malaysia. Would $ 1 000 be sufficient to tempt you to walk across the
plank now? What if I made a wager with you that you would not only walk over the plank once, but twice for free? Would
you take that wager?
You are on top of the one tower; your child is on top of the other tower. The tower with your child on top is on fire and the

2. flames are licking at your child’s feet. Would you not run across the plank grab hold of your child and run back to the
tower, which is not burning? What changed? All that changed was your reason why you needed to walk across the
plank. The same is true with becoming a winner. Once you have clarity on what you want – VISION. You gradually build
your confidence and you discover your reason why – your burning child on top of the building. Nothing can stop you from
becoming a winner.
Fasten your Seat Belt
It is time to accept that you are a winner in waiting. Fasten your mental and spiritual seat belts, because it is going to
take work and commitment to live your greatness. You are going to be thrust out of your comfort zone, into uncharted
territory. Accept that you will encounter some turbulence along your path to greatness and a winner you shale be.