Build it and success will come
The Marine’s have a saying that, “Everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die to get there.” This illustrates the human condition. We know what’s on the other side of sacrifice, but don’t want to go through the work it takes to get there. You might be promised heaven, but don’t want to let go of this life. You might be promised massive success, but don’t want to let go of who you are. How do you overcome your attachment to yourself to get to where you want to go?
What are we building?
When you see someone who is where you want to be, it’s tough to understand what it took to get there. Successful people don’t just show up one day. It took years of hard work and dedication to their craft. The only exception comes to lottery winners and trust fund babies. For everyone else, success looks a lot like the byproduct of hard work. The people who are capable of working this hard build something along the way…character.
None of us are born with character. Character is developed through conscious effort. We must consciously choose the hard road that is filled with obstacles. As we travel down the path of this hard road, each challenge we overcome strengthens our character. Like hard steel forged from the fire of the furnace, we become stronger in character with each challenge we conquer. This is the way, and there are no shortcuts.
Focus on the right things
Too many people who strive for success focus on the goal, instead of building themselves into the person they need to become to reach the goal. When you work on your character, you are working on your success. The five A.M. workout sessions every day build your character. Reading books in your chosen profession thirty minutes each day builds your character. Choosing to skip desert and eat healthy every day builds your character.
Character comes from doing the little things every day that you most likely don’t want to do. It’s not as glamorous as people think it may be. On the contrary, character is built by doing little things consistently to slowly change the person you are today into the person you wish to be. If you want to become successful, focus on building your character and success will come.