Everything that we want to achieve requires some effort. But how important is effort in achieving our goals?
What you do today – the effort you put in – determines your success tomorrow. Rory Vaden, the author of “Take the Stairs: 7 Steps for Achieving True Success”, says, “Success is never owned; it is only rented – and the rent is due every day.”
Effort, like sunscreen in the summer, needs to be applied consistently. To achieve our goals, we need to put in the effort each and every day. On days that we feel good and on days when we don’t feel like doing the work. Many people will put in effort for a short time and when their effort does not immediately pay off or they become distracted by life, they stop putting in the daily effort needed to finish and succeed.
One way to keep yourself motivated to put in the effort needed for your goals is to think of all the other people who have the same goal. Knowing that most people will at some point give up and stop putting in consistent effort, you can use this to motivate you to continue to work hard and keep moving forward. I call these “Get ahead” days. These are the days that you get ahead of your competition. After all, everyone can put in the effort when they are feeling good or the circumstances are perfect, but not many persist through the tough days.
Effort is really just a habit that we need to develop if we want to be successful. Success requires that you are willing to do whatever is necessary, when it is necessary in order to succeed.
Effort pays off in many ways. When we put in effort, we learn. Whether the effort produces results or not, we can learn and adapt based on what we learn from our efforts. If our efforts lead us further away from our goal, then we need to change our strategy. If our effort brings us closer to our goal, we can double down with our effort.
The great basketball player, Michael Jordan said that work ethic, (effort), eliminates fear. By putting in the effort, we know what we are capable of and do not need to be afraid.
Effort teaches us that we can do more than we thought. We learn new skills and abilities when we take the time to put in consistent effort. Every new success that we achieve through our efforts increases our confidence in ourselves and our abilities. Effort keeps us focused on success. As your effort brings you closer to your goal, your motivation and willpower increase as you can taste victory.
Whatever your goal, plan to put in the consistent effort needed to achieve success.