If possible, I wish to give my 200% efforts

I heard a story about John that I wouldn't forget.

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In 1996, John interviewed a famous professor for the first time in his life. At that time, John was studying in the US, because this was his first time doing an interview, he has no experience, and did not do enough preparation for that interview. So during the interview, the questions he asked doesn’t make any sense. His questions were lack of logic and depth. When facing his first professional interview in his career, young John almost failed.

After that interview, John began to rethink his interview skills and standards. He consulted his mentor about how to improve. His mentor asked him a question that had nothing to do with the interview, "How much water does it take to get a fish wet?" John replied, "It's enough to get a fish wet by dipping the cotton into the water."

His mentor asked again, "If you have a fish, is it enough for the fish to survive with just a little bit of water on the cotton?" “In that case, the fish simply can't survive, it needs at least one tank of water," John said.

"In fact, a fish can only touch the water on the cotton. Interviews are also the same; you must be prepared for 100%, even if it ends up wasting 99% of effort." The mentor explained.

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Later, this sentence has been lingering in my mind, guiding me the way forward. It's easy to get one thing done, but to do one thing well, you need to be willing to pay 100% efforts for that 1% result. No one can easily success without efforts, only those who know how to accumulate and precipitate the seeds of opportunity can allow the seeds to be rooted in the soil.

If I can get the 1% of the result, I think I would pay 200% of the efforts.

After all, the most regrettable thing in the world is that you could have done it, but you missed it because you didn't give it enough effort.

I still remembered my first semester in university, I went for interview for joining the singing club. Because my voice and intonation are good, so the first two rounds of the interview has been smoothly passed.

In the coming third round, the interviewer gave me a song that I had never heard before. With confidence in my talent, after listening for two times, I thought I'd almost familiar with the song. Plus from the experience of the previous interview, the interviewer will not ask to sing the whole song. So after I mastered the chorus of the song, I then concentrate on other things. However, it is not coincidentally, on the day of the interview, the interviewer unexpectedly asked us to sing the whole song. When I heard the request, I could not help but feel that I was a little vague about the lyrics of the other parts except for the chorus.

When the interviewer call my name, although my brain was blank, I still need to continue singing. As expected, because my preparation is not sufficient, and because of nervous, I can’t think of how to sing the beginning of the song... As time went by, I could only stand there, head down and hold the microphone tightly, but I don’t dare to make any noise until reaching the chorus.

The results of the interview are predictable. I think I will always remember the feeling of that day on the stage.

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People tend to fall in the areas they are good at.

As the old saying goes, "drowned people know how to swim.”. My interview experience is a good example: I always think that I am good at singing, so I feel that I can get the desired result without paying too much effort. But it was this ego that made me unprepared for the embarrassment and failure of the interview.

This matter has been warning me, make me realize that the thing I good at, I can’t be complacent, I need to do more preparation.

Practice a song to thousand times, to perform on the stage without any unexpected problems.

One minute's brilliant performance on the stage is attributed to ten years' practice under the stage. If you want to win that one minute of the house, you must let your sweat soak your clothes, and anticipate the countless possibility of failure.

In fact, whether doing the things you good at or not, whenever you want a good result, you need more time and energy to prepare. I often heard people around me say they are preparing for an examination. And in this, many people want to play for a few weeks, wait until the last week only start studying. There are really not much who have determined their goals from the beginning of university and are serious about their specialized courses.

Through my observation, I discovered that those who can smoothly graduated, are mostly willing to devote their time and energy to study. After all, with the efforts of most people, it is not a talent. The more you study, the less empty space you will have on your exam papers.

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I like the word "safe" very much. Of course, this "safe" is not the kind of live carefully, live with a standard, live according to the instructions of others life, do not dare to try their favorite things, can only rely on a dull and boring work to earn a living. 

I like to be "safe" is to do something that I think I really want to do or have to do, and then use enough effort to prepare, to lay the groundwork, until it can be done effortlessly and successfully. Even in the process of preparation, I still need to work 200% of the effort.

Back to the story about John.

Later, at the 30 anniversary of China-US diplomatic relations, John interviewed the professor again. But before the interview, John collected a large amount of data, including the papers, speeches and biographies of the professor at Harvard, and even read seven of his thick academic books.

In this interview, the professor praised John for the question he prepared. Although the interview time is short, but with its exquisite question and answer and profound elucidation, has been recognized by many foreign diplomats.

After the interview, John said, "I've seen so much data, but I only used them on one to two questions, but it doesn't mean that the preparation is superfluous." Like a fish, only need to suck in the water on the cotton, but to survive, it need a tank of water. It is these seemingly superfluous water that allows the fish to swim in any direction!

With 100% efforts, will allow you to stand out from ordinary people, step into the other level of life. But if you are willing to spend a little more effort, 200% of efforts, after a long time, I believe you will gradually achieve the height that a common people can’t reached.

So if I was born with no talent, I still hope to be able to use 200% of my efforts to do preparation to win that 1%. The only way to make yourself look effortless is to do your best.

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