We live in a society today that is flooded with social media posts and videos that show small clips of “successful” people working hard endlessly, as if they never stop.
We take this as the recipe for success. If we want to accomplish something we have to grind 24/7 to make it happen and that is the only way.
But, is that really what sets people apart. The ones who succeed vs. the ones who get their feet wet and fall off?
Two years ago I took a leap into entrepreneurship and business ownership. I quit my successful career making good money, and traded that for a bare-knuckle brawl with myself to see if I had what it took to turn my passion into a reality.
Working hard is critical. We need to dive into what we want and do everything we can to get there, but I don’t think that is what sets people apart.
Working hard is easy in the beginning when its new and you are fired up about your new endeavor.
But what about when things start to get tough?
There is a saying, “Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the face.”
It is at that point that you find out what you are made of and if you have what it takes.
In reality, the tough times, stress, and obstacles far outweigh the successes in the beginning. You have to pay your dues, and continue to work in pursuit of the greater good.
When that first, second, and even third obstacle presents itself, and all of a sudden you are in a place where you are very uncomfortable, unsure, and nervous. That is when the separation begins.
See I believe that the hard work put in is not the factor that separates the successful from the ones who fall off. Hard work is the pre-requisite to enter the game and play. If you want this that is a given.
It is the people that would rather die than quit and go back to what they had previously.
The people that know what they want, and will claw, scratch, and fight with everything inside them to get it. The ones that if failure inevitably comes, they don’t see it as negative, but as a learning experience that they gave everything they had into it, and can walk away satisfied.
So in the end, it is not about the effort you put in. If you aren’t going to put in a hard effort then don’t even try. But if you are willing to throw yourself in the arena in pursuit of greater, then pursue it with everything within you.
I am nowhere near where I want to be yet, and by no means has it been easy. I wake up to a fight every day. Sometimes I am ready for it, and some days I am not. But you would have to take me down and drag me from the helm of my ship before I get where I am going.
Be the person that has no other options but forward. Be the person that would rather die than quit.
Keep your eyes on the horizon and go down with the ship.
