Do you ever think you might be sabatoging your chances of success?
If you open your Instagram feed right now and begin to scroll, you will no doubt be inundated with countless success stories and inspirational articles about people who supposedly went from nothing to be successful.
You know the accounts I’m talking about –
“I went from broke to a multimillionaire at the age of 24.”
“I run a seven-figure business while traveling the world.”
“I discovered the secret to eCommerce and now I’m a trillionaire.”
If we were to believe these Instagram accounts, it would appear that everyone and their dog is now a super rich, super successful Internet star.
And it’s amazing. It truly is.
STOP SABOTAGING SUCCESS AND LEARN TO BE PATIENT
I truly believe it’s possible to achieve everything you want within reason and become successful.
Thanks to technology, it’s never been easier to smash your goals, to design a life where you can travel while work, be your own boss and earn a very good income.
But what do all of these inspirational, success stories fail to mention?
That it takes a hell of a lot longer to achieve success than they would like you to believe.
The Microwave Generation
Entitlement is ruining our generation. We expect something for nothing.
Much like using a microwave to cook our food. We expect results in a very short period of time with little to no effort. Unwrap your Poptart, put it in the microwave for two minutes and PING, it’s done!
We want everything in the next few weeks, the concept of working hard towards something for years is alien to us.
I’m going to blame social media for this.
Don’t get me wrong, I think social media is amazing. I personally love it! I find it a fun way to pass the time, it keeps me connected to my friends all around the world and it’s a great tool to keep me motivated.
However, social media is only a rose-tinted highlight reel of these success stories. They only allow us access to the end result. Uploading a photo of you working on your website at 2 am with greasy hair and stains on your pajamas is not going to get you likes and build you a following.
Who wants to sign up for a life of hard work?
That greasy hair reality though is probably a lot more accurate depiction of their life though. In order to make your dreams happen, you need to make sacrifices.
When setting your longterm goals. If weeks or months feature in it, you’re probably going to be disappointed.
Patience is paramount to being successful. Without patience we are all sabotaging success.
It takes seven years in the UK to become a doctor. Let that sink in for a minute.
You’re not going to be successful within a year so let’s stop feeling hard done by.
Shit takes time.
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To lead a special life, you have to do special things.
Or to put in less pretty words, you’ve got to eat shit for a long time.
We need to stop sabotaging success and learn to be patient instead.
While your friends are out having fun socializing, you need to be at home working towards to being successful.
When you start turning down social invites because you need to focus on your goals, that’s when you will see results.
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INSPIRIATIONAL SUCCESS STORIES
In the lead up to him smashing it at the Olympics, Michael Phelps didn’t take a day off for about five years. He would even train on Christmas.
That sounds sucky. But did it work?
Yep.
The desire not to lose, and the desire to accomplish something that had never been done before in Olympic history were what drove Phelps during those grueling years. From setting insange goals to showing up every day and putting in more work than the competition became a hallmark Michael Phelps.
“If you want to be the best, you have to do things that others aren’t willing to do,” Phelps said.
Want some more inspirational stories? Check out these 10 incredible success stories!
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SMASH THE MICROWAVE
The way I see it, we have two choices.
Grind, grind, grind, then fall over, pick yourself back up, grind some more. Repeat this until you start seeing results.
Get rid of the microwave mentality and be honest with yourself. Are you working hard? Are you putting in overtime? Or are you cooking with a microwave?
The other option is to learn to be content with what you have. Just because someone is earning millions of dollars a year doesn’t necessarily mean they are happy. Try and see the good in your humble life. There are advantages and disadvantages to every lifestyle.
There’s no right answer, however, you can’t wish for a different life when you aren’t doing anything to work towards it.
If you’re not being patirent and working hard, then you are simply self-sabotaging your chances of success.
CONCLUSION
Next time you’re mindlessly scrolling, remember to take those inspirational, motivational accounts with a pinch of salt.
They most likely worked their asses off for a good few years before they were able to post that coveted private jet photo.
If you’ve only been working on your side hustle for a few months, then chill.
The best dishes are slow-cooked.
