Everybody says they want to be successful. But honestly, I think a lot of people aren’t hungry for the same type of success.
It is an incredibly valid life choice to desire a nice, simple, and humble existence. Some people don’t require much from life. They just want to be calm and at ease and spend time with their family. I pass absolutely no value judgment on that.
But if you define success on a global scale, if you’re talking about wealth creation, if you’re talking about facing down one of the largest challenges we face as a society and saying, “That’s my problem to solve,” then I’ve got some really exciting news for you: There’s only one path to that level of success.
How Much Can You Bear?
The day that I really started to find success was the day that I was in the gym… hating it. I was literally trying to figure out how to do the least amount of work and still consider it a full workout. Then, for some reason a voice inside my head said, “Stop focusing on the least you can do and start focusing on the most you can bear.”
If you want to know what it really takes, you’ve got to crush out that voice in your head. Every time it speaks up, asking you a weak question, it erodes who you are just a little bit by its very presence. You have to crush it. By allowing that voice to ask, “What is the least I need to do in this situation?” you begin to chip away at your chances of success.
Instead, flip it. Use that weak, whining voice as a trigger for the bold voice that hides inside of you to speak up. Ask yourself:
“When will I break?”
“How far can I push myself before my arm snaps off?”
“Can I do another rep?”
“Will I faint if I keep going?”
“Am I actually about to vomit?”
If that’s the voice that you give energy to. That grand voice that’s willing to take on a grand challenge. That voice that won’t back down. That part of you that isn’t scared — or the part of you that even if it was scared would face that fear and rise up — then that’s how you will conduct yourself.
When you push yourself hard and you keep going and grind it out — when you prove to yourself what you’re capable of — then you can apply that drive to everything else.
Push the Boundaries of Imagination
Whether you’re trying to be the best parent, or entrepreneur, if you’re trying to push the boundaries, if you’re trying to do something that has never been done, it’s only going to be done by breaking new ground. It’s only going to be done by doing things other people have been unable to do before you – either because they didn’t think about it, or because they weren’t willing to push through that bubble of pain.
Go beyond. Push past the standard. Show people there is a bubble of pain that you’re willing to punch through. Every time you refuse to be held back by your physiology, by your limitations, by a lack of knowledge — by anything — you are living your life on purpose.
Make Your Impact
When you approach everything asking, “How much can I bear in service of my goal?” You’ll get somewhere. Chances are, you’ll overshoot your goal. Set goals and do whatever it takes to march towards those goals. Always be willing to gut-check yourself, find areas of weakness, and develop those skills in order to continue to move forward and press on. Don’t do it for the accolades or the appreciation of people around you, but to answer a question inside your gut.
Set the bar ridiculously high and surpass all expectations. It’s something you’ve heard from me before, and something you will hear from me again and again. That’s the only secret to success. There’s only one. There’s only one path.
Do more.
For more mindset tips and business strategies from the world’s top entrepreneurs and innovators, check out the check out the Impact Theory podcast podcast.
