There’s a quote from an unknown source that says, “If you don’t sacrifice for what you want, what you want becomes the sacrifice”
Of course, there’s a lot of people in the world these days who say they want to accomplish something, but yet their behavior shows the opposite.
They say they want to be a writer, but never actually put any words to the page. They say they want to be a world-class athlete, but look at their life, and they’re doing nothing but playing video games all day.
The clear truth of today is that many people talk about doing something but yet never actually that do that something, and hence, Austin Kleon has said:
“Lots of people want to be the noun without doing the verb. They want the job title without the work.”
Similarly, Darren Hardy brilliantly wrote, “Habits and behaviors never lie. If there’s a discrepancy between what you say and what you do, I’m going to believe what you do every time.”
You can’t actually fake it until you make it if you’re not doing anything. Your life follows your behavior, not your intentions. If you want something, you’ve got to be willing to pay the price, as this article will explain.
Here we go.
Decide What You’re Willing to Sacrifice For
“You’ve got to work a few years like few people will so you can spend the rest of your life like few people can.” -Benjamin P. Hardy
In his book,Living with the Monks, Jesse Itzler shares a piece of advice that helped him keep going when he was on the verge of quitting at the 76th mile of his first ultramarathon:
“The pain will last a week, but you’ll have the memory forever,” his friend told him.
Jesse then went on to finish the entire 100-mile race and spend the following three days in a wheelchair. Indeed, in that single moment, he decided that the temporary pain and suffering would be worth a memory he’d be able to cherish for a lifetime.
So, the question is: What are you willing to sacrifice for? What are you willing to fully commit to and give whatever it takes to achieve it?
For most people, it’s unfortunately not a lot. They see the price of success and decide easier just to dream about it. As Anthony Moore wrote,
“Most people will continue getting high on the dopamine of solely “dreaming” and journaling about their ideal life, without ever doing any meaningful work to make those goals happen.”
However, dreaming doesn’t create action and nor does it create results. Instead, persistent action is the most likely path to success, as you’ll find out in the next point.
Success = Hard Work + Dedication + Time
“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” -Francis of Assisi
Turning a dream into reality is a marathon, not a sprint. We hear the myths of people going from nothing to something in an overnight success, but they’re really just that, a myth.
The most dependable way to extraordinary results is not to rely upon a single action but by taking repeated and persistent action.
As Les Brown has said,
“Most people knock on the door of their dreams once, then run away before anyone has a chance to open the door. But if you keep knocking, persistently and endlessly, eventually the door will open.”
What needs to be made clear is that the road to success doesn’t allow you to take an Uber. There are no shortcuts. Instead, it’s a monstrous climb, and you’ll only get as far as you’re willing to go.
Indeed, anything you want in life can be yours. However, you simply have to be willing to pay the price. As Billionaire H.L. Hunt has said,
“There are only three requirements for success. First, decide exactly what it is you want in life. Second, determine the price that you are going to have to pay to get the things you want. And third, and this is most important, resolve to pay that price.”
In Conclusion
What separates the dreamers from the doers? Hard work, dedication, and time.
Anyone can make the continuous effort to turn a dream into reality. They can decide what they want and do whatever it takes to achieve it. Yet few people rarely do.
Instead, they prefer to make excuses, blame external factors, and give up. However, what about you?
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