Have you ever found yourself looking around at others and wondering how they got to where they are, so fast? How are they in a place that far surpasses you and so quickly? Their success came so quickly, and they didn’t even have to work at it. We even think to ourselves, why can’t I be so lucky?
That assumption couldn’t be farther from the truth.
There is no such thing as an overnight success. True success does not happen because of luck, but because of hard work, dedication and perseverance. It’s all held together by the dream that set you on your journey of discovery.
The truth is, overnight success never happens overnight. What we see is the final product of many weeks, months, or even years of hard work, struggles and dedication to honing their craft. The final results (success) is the product of consistent small steps taken until they hit their tipping point. Finally! All the hard work, sweat and tears paid off!
Biz Stone, Co-Founder of Twitter, sums it up, “Timing, perseverance and ten years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success.”
We, as spectators, aren’t aware of all the time that someone has committed to in order to achieve their goal. Whether it’s a start-up business, a budding new relationship, or a major project at work…we see the result of their hard work. The fruit of their labor is from the sacrifice they make in order to achieve their goal.
Back when Joel & I used to work with campus ministry, the girls used to say to me “Julie, I want a man like Joel.” And I would say, “That’s awesome, but they don’t just come like this.” Our beautiful and satisfying marriage has been the result of many arguments, apologies, mistakes and makeups and much, much learning.
It’s so easy to get discouraged as the person looking in from the outside. You work hard day after day, and struggle to feel that you’re making any progress. You may feel like you’re up against a wall and getting nowhere. What we don’t realize is that those “overnight success stories” have endured their own struggles; their own failures. They too experienced the same setbacks in their own lives.
The key is to focus on what you need to do to overcome those hurdles. Get back on the horse and try again. In our own lives, we are going to face setbacks. Failure is going to happen. It’s what we do after that determines our success or the lack thereof. We call it quits or we adapt. Step back, take a look at what failed, make changes, and keep moving forward. History has proven that we learn some of life’s greatest lessons by the mistakes we make. Only after that, can we make true progress.
Perseverance and discipline don’t come easy. They are experientially learned skills. For many of us, it has to be a deliberate choice each and every day until it becomes ingrained in us. Success takes hard work. Set a goal and make a conscious effort to make progress every day. One day may be baby steps. The next may be a giant leap forward. The key is to keep moving forward. Momentum encourages progress and we create our own cycle of success like this, not just one overnight success.
Roadblocks will come. Don’t give up. When things get tough or when something goes wrong, take the opportunity to reflect on what couldn’t been done differently. Make the change and get back at it.
We are not born with self-discipline. We are taught at a young age, and we learn through mistakes how to make right decisions for ourselves. Self-discipline and perseverance encourage us to strive for greatness and to go after our dreams. It’s the drive within you to keep going when things get tough. It is what makes the difference when you stand back and measure your success. It helps you dig in and do whatever it takes to find your true purpose and achieve your goals.
So, what do we do to achieve our own success?
First, stop comparing yourself to others. You may be ahead of some and behind others, but we are all in this journey to uncover our own success. You are moving at your own pace, but as long as you’re moving forward, you’re making progress.
Set daily goals to keep yourself moving in the right direction. When something doesn’t work, reflect, adapt and move forward.
Get back up and try again. What was difficult at first, will become second-nature to you and these habits become an internal part of how you work.
Your hard work will pay off, and instead of being seen as an overnight success, you will know the time and effort it took to get you there and you will create that cycle of success in your life. Your eternal reward is the sense of pride you feel because you know you never gave up. You persevered, endured, and triumphed. Your journey to discover your true purpose is all worth it. Only you know the measure your true worth.
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