The truth is, we run away from our biggest dreams and goals because we’re afraid of actually doing…
This is What it Takes to Achieve Exactly What You Want“Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.” — Napoleon Hill
The truth is, we run away from our biggest dreams and goals because we’re afraid of actually doing the work required to get there. When I say “required,” I mean that absolutely nothing great comes easy. Doing the work is hard, but it’s the only way you’ll ever get to know the truth of who you are — you know, whether you really have what it takes to live the life you’ve always imagined.
If you want to live the exact results that you dream about and think about constantly, then you have to be willing to work hard, think more creatively than you ever have, and commit to persevering through good times and bad. It’s not a struggle to persevere when the going is good. It challenges us to our core when we encounter adversity and are forced to give up or press on.
Several years ago, I was fired from a prestigious job in management consulting. I simply didn’t cut it, and while there were other reasons at play, my performance just wasn’t good enough. But I realized that I wasn’t doing something that I loved. Which meant that I wasn’t motivated. Which meant I didn’t hustle hard enough and pour my heart and soul into it.
And I paid the price.
BOOM.
What happens next?
What happened next was one of the greatest moments of reckoning of my entire life. I wasn’t doing the work that I really wanted to do. I desperately needed to pursue my passion of writing and to turn my full energy to my calling of coaching business professionals to help them through their careers and in their personal lives.
I needed to believe in myself more than I ever had in my life, at a time where it would have been so easy not to.
“I wonder how many times people give up just before a breakthrough — when they are on the very brink of success.” — Joyce Meyer
As soon as I started moving in this direction, my life began to change and I became much happier. I had a much more positive outlook and opportunities that I actually wanted came my way. During the aftermath of losing that job, I began writing my book which was published in 2017 and became an Amazon bestseller.
I grew a stable of coaching clients and generated some nice income, while receiving feedback that I had forever changed people’s lives for the better. I found my calling. I found my purpose and mission. I found myself.
I learned that in order to achieve exactly what I want, I had to immerse myself and go “all in” with maximum intensity, hustle and passion. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made, of course other than marrying my wife!
The problem is, most people don’t ever reach the pinnacle of self-actualization and human achievement, because they don’t plot out the course it will take to get them there. Make no mistake, without a plan, you really don’t stand a very good chance. Most people are so afraid to actually sit down and do the work, it never gets started. And they flounder with worry.
I’ll tell you what — when you first get started, it’s simply not fun. You want to fight it. Call it resistance, call it procrastination, blame every distraction or outside excuse that you want, the reasons often don’t matter as much. You know as well as I do, that it becomes hard to buckle down and “get to work.”
If you’ve ever really, really wanted something great, you’ve probably struggled with commitment at first. You get your first taste of success — of giving something a shot, and it seems so attainable. It’s not that it’s ever unattainable, but once you really commit and get consistent, you realize pretty quickly that you don’t just immediately headline The Apollo.
That star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame isn’t handed out after your first “year in the business.”
Rather, you know that all the talent in the world doesn’t matter if you don’t back it up with intelligent plans and dedication.
Clarity and peace of mind? Those come when you have a definite purpose and mission for accomplishing your big goals. Even when you know your big prize at the end, just ambling along isn’t a surefire strategy. You may get there, but it will take a lot longer. And it won’t mean as much. And it will be harder to sustain for the next go-around.
While I constantly fight the pressures and realities of our instant-gratification society, I also embrace the parts of it that demand greater efficiency and intelligence in action. Knowing who you are, what lights the fire inside of you, and what will make you great and in-demand, is having incredible power in your hands.
It’s tough to start, but once you get some momentum going and shut-out the distractions and worries of the outside world, you get in this remarkable zone that is powered by flow and creativity. Nothing else seems to matter. You worry less about the outcomes and most about how fulfilled you feel, and how irresistible that freedom of mind and spirit truly is.
This will lead you to knowing exactly what you want to do with your life, why that matters, and then how to position yourself in the marketplace. Which is really all about how to market and brand yourself in such a way that will allow you to elevate yourself faster and with greater growth.
Every equation of how you plan to achieve what you want should truly be about time and money, but mostly about time. You want to get there with the greatest efficiency that you possibly can, without sacrificing quality, or the incredibly powerful feelings of accomplishment and fulfillment that will sustain your momentum, inspiring and motivating you to keep going.
That’s where perseverance comes in.
Be willing to do the work that others are not, and you will be rewarded with the opportunities that most people aren’t given. Outworking your competition isn’t enough. It takes more than that. It takes heart and soul.
It takes a willingness to go “all in” with commitment, consistency and joy in your heart. Building a game plan that is committed to continued excellence, with dedication and passion is how you begin your journey to greatness.
What are the big decisions that have most impacted your life? Please share them below!
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The truth is, we run away from our biggest dreams and goals because we’re afraid of actually doing… was originally published in The Startup on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
