Former Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr., is known to baseball fans everywhere as “The Iron Man.” He will always be remembered for his consistency and longevity in a baseball career that spanned nineteen years.
On September 20, 1998, at age thirty-eight, he played in his 2,632th consecutive game before taking a well-deserved “day off.” He had not missed a game since May 30, 1982! Three years earlier, on September 6, 1995, he had shattered the long-standing record set by Lou Gehrig of 2,130 consecutive outings. Cal finished his career at the end of the 2000-2001 season, after appearing in his last All-Star game in July of that year and winning the MVP award. He has not only played more consecutive games than any other major leaguer in history, he also holds the record for ninety-five errorless games as a short- stop, and a number of Orioles records, including the most doubles, homers, and runs batted in (RBIs).
Excerpted from Fire Your Excuses
How persevering are you willing to be to achieve excellence in your career or calling? What are you willing to start doing, stop doing and continue doing? Write them down, then tell a friend or colleague.
In a study at the University of Scranton, those who wrote down formal New Years resolutions were five times more likely to have achieved and incorporated them into their lives when assessed two years later. How much do your goals matter?
Best Wishes from Dr. Marcus and Dr. Bill!
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