The Perception of Effort vs Success Is Sickeningly Wrong — Reality Check Time
We’re bombarded with [overnight] success stories frequently. Not only does this give us a false sense of realism, but it’s also not true. Furthermore we’re also bombarded with get rich quick courses and guides that promise to empower us to earn more money and become successful beyond our wildest dreams.
Here’s the thing… If it was THAT easy we would ALL be successful and rich with private jets. Furthermore, the success stories we hear wouldn’t stand out because, well… a success story by definition stands out from the norm.
Being the 1% or even top 10% is hard as sh*t. Most people are looking to cut corners. Hell I want to cut corners! We’re literally wired to be lazy. It’s biology.
You’re being misled and mis-sold dreams. More accurately you’re deluding yourself — if you’re a subscriber to responsibility as a way of life.
Consuming success related content and inspirational content triggers the reward part of your brain and makes you feel good, so you’re actually less likely to do what you need to do. You’re less likely to succeed on your goals. It’s also addictive. The irony is, they’re cashing in, not you.
Inspiration is necessary, but that can come from any corner of life and from within, which is where it really needs to come from.
If it’s too good to be true it probably is!
Reading about something is one thing, implementing and executing is a whole other thing, but that’s where things happen (the magic ✨) and when we learn.
So are you ready for an upgrade? A dose of reality? That advice that will get you thinking like Elon? Great, let’s continue…
The Reality — How to Actually Succeed
So now I’ve revealed the common disillusion of success, let’s talk about the real nitty gritty. How it actually works. What it really takes.
The only way to truly become successful is to take action, learn and put the time and energy in by committing to it and keeping at it. Basically the age old, learn from failure. Which adds another tripwire which I’ll cover in a bit.
Success takes persistence, patience and passion.
There are no silver bullets. Sorry. I know. It sucks… It’s all just hard work. Those success stories that are told in 5 minutes actually span many years in reality.
Read each “how to” article or guide, or watch each inspirational video with the perception and realistic view that it’s going to take HARD ass work.
It’s a Different World
The world has changed now as well. The internet isn’t a free for all. Being an entrepreneur is sexy and cool.
It’s crowded out there and there’s a lot of white noise and it’s more competitive than ever.
You need to do MORE than the others to succeed.
There are still opportunities but the bar is higher and you need to be more dedicated than ever to learn. Learning is really key. Every situation, business and person is different.
Failure Is the Option
We ALL hate rejection and failure and fear it. Because we don’t want to look bad. But you need overcome this as well.
Know that you WILL make mistakes. You will fail or have micro failures. Good! Don’t give up at the first hurdle because it will sting. Just like a breakup or any rejection.
You MUST get back up and keep going. Life doesn’t want you to succeed. So you need to be stronger willed than it. It takes strength and courage and determination. It’s not easy but it’s possible!
TL;DR — The Bottom Line
You need to REALLY want it and actually need to put the time and effort in.
Focus, fail, learn, and repeat.
There are no silver bullets. There are no excuses. We can’t make excuses for ourselves. Only we care about our own feelings, and even still… If we tell others why we can’t do something or won’t. It’s only us we’re letting down.
So… what are you going to achieve right now? The clock is ticking, life is short.
Before you go, please tap the 👏 button below if you found value and inspiration in my honest writing. It makes me feel good for starters and keeps me writing more.
About The Author
Stefan Pretty is the Founder & CEO of Subbly. You can connect with him on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
