Second grade.


1980-something.


My mom is an educator. So I had a real and tangible “head start” when it came to schooling. It’s why I read and write so much now.


By second grade, I had been identified as a “gifted” student — language that schools probably can’t even use these days. I was part of a small group in a weekly “Mentally Gifted” program.


My sister (a year older) was as well; she skipped a grade in elementary. I stayed in my regular grade; guess I wasn’t mature enough to skip 😆.


Anyhow, the story.


The special education teacher in my elementary school came into our second-grade classroom and asked our teacher if she could borrow some of her “best” students to help administer a test to the special ed kids.



Our teacher hand-selected five of us for the job.



Each of us was assigned to help one of the special ed students with the test. Our job was to help read the question, note the answer from the special ed kid, and get them to write it down.



This was a poorly-constructed assignment.



First of all, NONE of these special education students was mentally retarded or deficient in any way whatsoever.



They either didn’t learn at the same pace as other students, or were just bad-ass kids who didn’t want to sit in a classroom and listen. Some of them became my classmates in later elementary years, where this was verified.



Secondly, it was a strong kick to the ego and self-esteem of these special education students to have other kids, who were their same age, “helping” them read. The whole situation made them feel stupid. I could see this myself as a second-grader.



Long story short, the special-ed kids were… uncooperative.



The student I was working with mumbled every time I asked him a question. Over the course of 15 minutes, we got nothing done. He probably wanted to beat me up just for being there, leaning over his shoulder (he was one of the bad-ass kids who’d later be a classmate). My other “gifted” classmates had similar experiences.



One classmate, however, happened to work with a cooperative student, who actually completed his test. No word on whether his answers were right or not, but the special education teacher (who was clearly incompetent at doing this job herself) was pleased with this outcome. She gave a reward to that classmate, and gave a tongue-lashing to the rest of us for not being as “helpful” as she’d expected.



As I said, complete bullshit. And probably illegal, based on today’s laws and standards.



The big point of the story: When you have bad prospects, it doesn’t matter how good, smart, or well-intentioned you are.


The student I was brought in to “help” didn't WANT to be helped. From that point forward, nothing else mattered.


You can't make a Michelin-star-level meal with shitty ingredients.



Which is why the bum-ass special ed teacher passed her job onto us. She knew she couldn't win.


On the other hand, if you hand-pick the right ingredients – quality people who WANT your help, NEED your help, will ACCEPT your help, and will actually FOLLOW THROUGH on what you offer – you are more likely to be successful, and a lot happier in the process.



In the professional world, we call this “doing your homework.”



Homework did not end when you finished school. That’s when it STARTED.


If you have a client-based business, your homework is in attracting the right type of clients who you WANT to work with – and who WANT to work with you.


People who will listen and follow through on what you share. This will make your work a lot easier and smooth… AND will create success stories that both make you look good… AND bring in more people like your ideal people… which in turn makes YOU more money.


Everyone is more satisfied in the process.



This is all contingent on you doing the homework that sets you up to win.



Join Work On Your Game University so I can help do the homework that prepares you to ace the test.



That means having your ideal clients, who come ready and willing to do what you ask of them, actually DO it, AND get tangible results that both make them happy, and make you look good.



Is that what you want?



Start here: http://www.WorkOnYourGameUniversity.com




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