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Details matter. If someone gives you an engraved gift that misspells your name, you feel let down rather than uplifted even though the person went to a lot of expense and trouble to be nice to you.

Well-applied extra effort can make a difference. Jerry Rice, the National Football League (NFL) player who many people consider to be the greatest wide receiver of all time, had only average running speed for his position. Because he couldn't count on outracing defenders, he spent more time than anyone else developing stamina and rehearsing pass-running routes. Before a football game was over, defenders would fall further and further behind Rice due to his superb conditioning and precise routes. Today, Rice holds the all-time record for touchdowns in the NFL, a record that's not expected to be broken anytime soon.

Winners finish strong. In any activity, those who win the most often show an ability to overcome earlier mistakes and to make their best efforts just before time runs out, coming from behind if necessary to eke out a victory.

I was reminded of such timeless lessons while reviewing the career of Dr. Kenneth Levy, who earned a Ph.D. degree from Rushmore University. His many successes came in spite or hurdles that would have discouraged many people from continuing to make their best efforts.

From an early age, he loved the idea of working with large animals and wanted to become a veterinary surgeon. Although two medical schools admitted him, no veterinary school did.

Hoping to gain sponsors for his veterinary school application, Dr. Levy spent three years in a Ph.D. pathology program. This time his application was provisionally accepted, subject to providing a large donation to the school's "building fund" (which later events showed to be a way the school paid kick-backs to an influential legislator).

Unable to make the "donation," he dropped out of the Ph.D. program and returned to the commercial laboratory where he had worked before starting graduate school, this time taking a job that normally required a Ph.D.

Despite the setback to his life's ambition to become a veterinary surgeon, new doors swung open, and Dr. Levy was soon working for a company that provided radioactive materials for clinical, research, and industrial use where he participated in a management training program. To make faster career progress, he also earned a part-time MBA degree.

Despite high performance in his management role, when the parent organization faltered he received an unexpected "golden parachute" that permitted him to stop, to take stock, and to consider what he wanted to do next. While many people would have quickly headed back into a full-time search for a new position, he realized this was an opening to draw closer to his love of large animals, especially horses.

While taking six months off from work, Dr. Levy obtained world-class training in dressage, a sophisticated form of competitive riding, and gained helpful knowledge for competing as well as how to prepare horses and riders to succeed in the sport. Today, he continues to compete, plays many roles in the sport, and operates a farm with his wife for training equestrians.

Blessed by these opportunities to enjoy his passion, he also benefited from next gaining a position in a well-regarded firm providing laboratory diagnostics for physicians. After taking on many different roles over the years in that organization, he found himself unexpectedly heading the company's Medical and Scientific Affairs department.

While many people without a doctorate would have felt overwhelmed or at least daunted by leading a talented staff of physicians, Ph.D.s, and nurses, Dr. Levy saw the new role as an ideal incentive to complete the Ph.D. training that he had begun so many years before. Looking around for opportunities to work on his thesis without having to repeat courses and cover subjects that he already knew well, he decided to earn an online degree.

Paying the same kind of careful attention that he did professionally to ensure patient safety and personally to gain success in dressage, his research and writing went well and were soon completed, providing much delight for his family and himself. Here is how he described the results:

"My Ph.D degree has created greater recognition by my CEO and the Senior VP management team."

"My two daughters have expressed a great amount of respect for my accomplishment. Furthermore, we have a niece living with us and when she saw my dissertation and diploma, she said, 'I could do this and work.'"

What advice does Dr. Levy have for you about learning and earning an advanced degree while working?

"Plan and take time every day to work on your assignments. It is easy to let things slip. There is nothing better then finishing a course and receiving your grade. Each course completed is one step closer to your degree."

As I reviewed Dr. Levy's experiences, I couldn't help but wonder how many people are very close to accomplishing some long-dreamed of goal by simply working well at what they want.

What are you waiting for?

Find out how you can prepare to enjoy what you do either as a career, or as a devoted part-timer or hobbyist. I look forward to applauding the way your life will work well for you as a result of your working well at your life.

About the Author:

Donald W. Mitchell is a professor at Rushmore University, an online school, who often teaches people who want to improve their business effectiveness in order to accomplish career breakthroughs through earning advanced degrees. For more information about ways to engage in fruitful lifelong learning at Rushmore University to increase your effectiveness, I invite you to visit http://www.rushmore.edu

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