My “1-2-3” Mantra to Success

Many people have asked me how I’ve mastered the speed bag. I actually consider myself to be a modest athlete, but my answer is always –start with the
basics. The golden rule of thumb that I was taught with the speed bag is to live and breathe the standard “1-2-3” mantra, striking the bag on “1”, letting the bag hit the back of the board on “2” and letting the bag hit the front of the board on “3”.

When you’ve repeated this so many times that it’s becoming ingrained in your mind, don’t quit just yet. When you end up eating, breathing and sleeping the “1-2-3”, you’ll notice that your arms begin moving faster, really striking the bag and picking up speed. [ADDED BONUS: while you’re practicing this pattern, the muscles in your upper body are becoming ripped!]

It always surprises me when people are disheartened when I tell them that it takes time to see results. I know that we live in an instant gratification world, but can we really expect to master anything in 30 seconds? (If anyone manages to crack this, please let me in on your secret!)… Now, when people ask me how I’ve mastered my job as a life sciences recruiter…Ha! Well, I don’t get asked this often because I’m light years away from mastering this lucrative business! However, here are a few things I can say:

Learning the foundation. How can I expect to make job placements consistently without having learned the foundation of the practice? As I approach my seven month mark here at Hobson, I feel like I could continue learning about recruiting after 30 years working in the industry. Just like with speed bagging, I don’t expect to do quite as well yet as some of the 5, 10 or 20 year recruiting veterans I work with, but do enjoy the pleasant surprise of being proven wrong.

We all learn differently. What works for me may not work for you. I’m still learning the “1-2-3” rhythm within the recruiting world and get excited to see my network grow each day, as I connect more people to great opportunities.

Practice creates results. Regardless of learning patterns within the industry, there’s a clear underlying method that continues to promote success…practice AND patience makes perfect…or, at least, respectable results.

Every day is different.  Although I can say that I finally mastered the speed bag, each day is different, and sometimes I struggle to even see the bag in front of me … In the recruiting/sales world we may have legendary days where we’re blowing numbers out of the park, and we may also have horrible days where we feel like we’ve left 100 voice mails that seem to be leading to nothing.  

So remember: A tough day at the gym may lead to stronger muscles, greater mental preparation to keep going the next day, and hopefully a great release of endorphins. Similarly, those never-ending voice mails and messages may lead to a job order or a placement.

1, 2, 3 … BAM!

-Elizabeth