People often look for the "quick fix" or "easy solution" to challenges that come along. Our world is littered with quick fix diets and get rich quick schemes, but they rarely actually work. I'm not going to pretend that I have achieved the pinnacle of success (because I certainly haven't) or that I know more than anyone else (I don't). However, what I have done is read books, listened to interviews, and watched videos of some of the most successful people to have ever lived. In doing this I have learned that whether you are seeking success in business, sports, education, or personal health and fitness, there actually is a common thread that holds true. There IS a simple one step solution to achieving success in any domain you choose. DO THE HARD WORK.
DO THE HARD WORK.
Simple, Not Easy
The key to success is truly that simple, do the hard work every single time. While this is simple, it is certainly not easy. This means that every time a project is due or a workout is scheduled (yes, they should be scheduled) you have to show up and execute at a high level and tackle the HARDEST challenge you can. Don't pick up the same weights day after day for months. Over time those weights feel lighter, so pick up the heavier weights. DO THE HARD WORK. Don't complete the minimum expectations for a project to get it across the finish line and "get your boss off your back." Create a product that will stand out and push your knowledge and skill to another level. DO THE HARD WORK.
Mediocrity comes from a mediocre execution of these tasks. The highest level of success is reserved for those that find the difficult challenges and do the hard work to tackle them.
The Struggle to Execute
There will be days (I know I battle them) where it's a struggle to do the workout or complete the necessary tasks for a project. However, I work to push through and execute every time. Am I perfect at executing this mentality every time? No, I'm not. However, that is an opportunity to reflect and understand why that failure occurred and execute the next time. When learning about how some of the most successful people have achieved their success, it has been clear that none of them have been successful in this mentality 100% of the time. However, they have always sought to improve their execution and strive to tackle the next challenge.
Showing up to do the hard work every day isn't easy. However, it is the simple concept that underpins success. Every day you should strive to find the difficult challenges in your life. Where are you trying to go and what steps do you have to take to get there? Once you understand those challenges, it's necessary to take on the hard work in each of those challenges. Mediocrity comes from a mediocre execution of these tasks. The highest level of success is reserved for those that find the difficult challenges and do the hard work to tackle them. For me, this blog represents one of those challenges. Making these posts pushes me outside of my comfort zone, but is something I need to tackle to achieve the successes I hope to achieve in my career.
This is a habit, a mentality, that has to be adopted and internalized.
The most challenging part of execution is that this isn't a one time action. Doing the hard work requires action EVERY TIME. This is a habit, a mentality, that has to be adopted and internalized. Hard days will come where it feels easier to do the minimum. However, the most successful people in the world got there by executing on those hard days. There are some epic and inspirational stories detailing these moments for some of the most successful people in any domain. I encourage you to seek out some of these stories and learn a little more about these internal (and external) battles and how they were overcome. You will find numerous stories of injuries, rejection, failed products, failed companies, and more that had to be overcome. However, in each case doing the hard work was able to overcome the obstacle. DO THE HARD WORK.
DO THE HARD WORK.