I want to piggyback on a topic I addressed a couple of weeks ago — the concept of success. Whether it’s school, work, or relationships, we want to feel successful or find success. However, I have realized that advising about how to be successful is extremely difficult. Success is a moving target. It will change depending on your experiences and your definition of success.
When I was younger, I thought that the only thing that would make me feel fulfilled and happy was opening a chain of nutrition stores and fitness centers. When those exploded and failed, the most challenging part was that I no longer knew what success was. That target of success just moved. I couldn’t find it! I had no idea what it was.
I now define success as doing what I love, supporting myself and my family, and feeling like I’m making a difference in the world. I feel super successful, but I see all these coaches and self-proclaimed experts advising on achieving success. You will only be able to determine what success will look like for you.
But a secret will ultimately lead you to success in whatever you choose. Don’t be lazy. For anyone to be successful, they cannot be lazy. Success is like a journey on a road where you have no idea where it leads and ultimately end up. But you have to start the journey and take the first step. You can’t be lazy with your actions. You have to go down the road and keep moving forward.
But here’s the thing: you can not stray off that road and sit on your couch. You can’t play it ‘safe’ either because you won’t reach your destination. It’s okay to start the journey and not know where it will end, but you must constantly educate yourself and ask questions. Educating yourself is the only true way to find your passion and what makes you happy and fulfilled. Seek knowledge.
Experience in the world has never been more effortless. In the past decades, you’d have to read books or go to college to get information. I hate reading books and could have been better at college. But, in the world today, there is no excuse for not being able to learn. Fantastic resources are online. Sure, you have to sift through a lot of crap to find hidden gems, but the whole point is you never know where your inspiration is going to come from.
Another considerable secret to success is perseverance. I may not be the most intelligent guy in the room, but I am one of the hardest workers (if not the hardest), very disciplined, and hard-headed. Everything I have ever achieved came through perseverance. If you fail, don’t give up — get back up, keep on working, and persevere.
If you’re not where you want to be, try harder, try longer, and keep on keeping on. You will get there. I am puzzled by how some people are seemingly always successful while others are constantly struggling. Well, persevering and putting in more work than others are the reasons.
And work is just that—work. It’s not comfortable, to be honest. So, you have a choice: do the uncomfortable thing now or experience more significant discomfort later in life. Making that choice is a skill that has to be practiced.
I have always advocated taking cold showers for their health benefits. These cold showers will help you develop the ability to handle all kinds of discomfort thrust upon you. A single moment of strength is needed to get yourself into that water, but it’s working out your discipline muscle, training yourself to be more effective at choosing more significant discomfort during challenging times. You will stop listening to the negative feelings, eventually defeating and controlling them. This will translate into other times when you must deal with the uncomfortable.
You never know where your success is going to be found. You’ll only find it if you keep trying… don’t be lazy… keep educating yourself… persevere … work harder … and embrace discomfort. If you get knocked down or kicked in the teeth by life, get your ass back up. Doing all of this now means giving a gift to your future self, but not doing it means you’re crapping on that guy. Knowing that your past self did you good is a comforting feeling rather than thinking “f@#k that guy” for putting all that weight on you.
