Don’t You Think Your Life is Worth that Effort?

There are more books about success than any one person could read in a lifetime. Some have tips, tricks, stories, journeys, outlines, schedules, daily calendar reminders and even exercises to help you reach success. There are websites, book clubs, support groups, success coaches, success retreats and even mediations based upon creating a success oriented mindset. If you want to read, think and learn to be successful there are a plethora of options available.

I am all for anything that helps people reach their goals and be successful. All I ask is that each person define for themselves what is the meaning of success in their life? What do they want not just because their boss or spouse think it is the next logical step, but because they think it is the next step which will lead them to what they truly define as success. It is hard to know when you have arrived if you do not know the destination.

Once we know what we want, we have to be willing to do the work. Great outlines, websites, programs, coaching, or exercises are part of the story. All along the path we have to be willing to do the work, the hard work, the behind the scenes ugly stuff. For a beautiful garden, beautiful plants need to be planted AND someone has to maintain the garden by weeding. Rats! It’s that weeding part that really makes it real life.

No one makes it by sitting around and reading, they succeed by doing the work over and over and over and over again. Work means hard work, long hours, passionate time spent growing and building until there is something that no longer feels like work. It eventually feels like an investment in yourself and your family. It reaches a point where you do what you do for more than a paycheck, it is a tool to provide the things you want for those you love. And when it becomes a grind, a bore, a chore, or even an annoyance it is a good time to rethink that definition of success. One path, one choice may not sustain that definition of success for an entire career. When the hard work becomes a burden or obstacle that is the time to stop and regroup.

Hard work gets us what we want, as long as we know what we want. Define, refine, then be willing to put in the time and complete the tasks to grow and sustain your own definition of success. There is no magic formula, it boils down to hard work. Don’t you think your life is worth that effort?