Execute or even simpler, show up. Showing up doesn’t guarantee success, but not showing up guarantees you won’t succeed.
A great example is getting healthy/fit. There are programs that in 3 months will give anyone noticeable change. In one to two years they can be a completely different body type/person. What do they need to do? Go to the gym 1-2 hours 3x a week, do some reading, and change your diet (and save yourself money by doing so). It’s that simple.
So let’s suppose it’s your gym day and you feel like total crap. A long day at work, sore from sitting at your desk all day, etc etc etc. You could tell yourself you can’t go today and that you’ll go tomorrow (but you won’t). Or, you can man up and go anyway. You might have the worst workout of your life, miss every single lift, and throw up, but at least you went, kept your schedule, got some lifting in, and you know what? You’ll do better next time.
A couple related quotes:
“80% of success is just showing up” – Woody Allen
“Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.” – Thomas Edison
Of course, if you want to be the best, it takes a whole lot more. Inspirational video attached for fun:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok8OHYQdDDI