The Unsexy Truth About Success

I would imagine every generation of young people has imagined being wildly successful on an idea alone. It would come to them in a flash of insight that they put down on paper, and then people show up to magically make them rich because the idea is so good. I know those were my thoughts at 27 when I started my business. The bankers who told me my business was not a reasonable risk for them and some well-meaning friends and family encouraged me to have a solid plan b. They wanted me to understand that what I was shooting for was too hard to achieve. They wanted me to stay grounded in the idea that my success was unlikely.

I don’t blame them. The truth is most of us think success is going to be easy and quick. But success has a price tag on it. In my first year in business, I heard Brian Tracy speak. He talked about his rules of success and his path to becoming a millionaire. One of the rules that stood out was the 40+ rule. This rule states that the first 40 hours a week you work is for survival. Anything above the 40-hour mark is for success. That really stuck with me. I had anticipated clients lining up to want to do business with me simply because I cared deeply about doing a great job when I was hired. I soon learned that lots of caring people end up broke. So, I went to work actively pursuing and serving clients for 40 hours a week. Then I added another 40 hours a week, acting as my own employee. That second 40-hour week was all about building and systemizing my business.

I have heard Elon Musk talk about the same premise. When he was young and starting out broke, he ran his business for 40 hours and was his first employee, also working another 40 hours for success. That is the part of success that simply isn’t sexy. Those who make it will find a way to leverage their self-discipline, face rejection, and keep working diligently. Brian Tracy indicated in that speech that the average millionaire works 60+ hours a week. They are continuously learning new ways to share their message, grow their business, manage their finances and people, and discipline themselves for greatness.

The toughest question we must face in our pursuit of success, greatness, fulfillment, or anything worthwhile relates to our self-discipline. Life is more just. We are compensated for our efforts once we produce enough value for those seeking their outcome. Are we willing to pay the price in learning, time, and effort in order to receive the compensation of success? I encourage you to do the hard work.