Our society has become reliant on convenience. We’ve all become programmed to pick up a device, order whatever we want and have it within seconds, minutes, or a few short hours.
- You can order an Uber and it will be in front of your house in minutes to take you anywhere you want to go.
- Instacart and Amazon Prime will have your groceries delivered within a few short hours.
- Netflix and Apple TV provide all of the entertainment you could possibly want at the click of a remote.
While these advancements have been game changers for us culturally, professionally, and personally, isn’t it time we keep it all in perspective?
On top of an ‘on demand’ society, we have the ‘hustle’ culture. Driven by social media and some of its thought leaders, the hustle culture promotes getting what you want fast, at all costs, and a work ethic that drives immediate results. Exhaustion, sleep deprivation, and sickness, worn as badges of honor, come as a result until you are forced to decide whether you want the life you’ve hustled to get. Or, if the results don’t come quickly enough, we start to ask ourselves if the business route we’ve chosen is the right one. Through the lens of impatience rather than logic, we tempt ourselves to jump around from opportunity to opportunity until success magically appears.
So, here’s the point…
Building a business and life that is predictable, enjoyable, and profitable takes time. Real time… YEARS. And, it takes an investment of money and resources.
Think about Bill Gates’ quote: “Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in 10 years.”
As I look back over my last decade, I could not agree more.
I believe the biggest issue for people not finding happiness is that they don’t take enough time to think and plan. Most studies suggest that only 1-5% of people take time to think about and can verbalize what success means to them. Most people just “do” and hope for the best. This approach seems easy, but those same studies show that most stress is caused by not knowing what your “North Star” is and having a plan to reach it. People who have thought intentionally about their goals and know where they are going don’t feel stress in the same way.
Also, there’s a fine line between the hustle culture and working smart. For example, I use my Morning Ritual as a competitive advantage. To some people, it seems extreme until they realize that I get a full day’s work done prior to 8:00 a.m. and I still get enough sleep. Working smart is about good habits; hustle culture is about sprinting.
But what’s the solution?
First of all, know that your age has nothing to do with the suggestions I’m going to offer. Warren Buffet did not start making real money until he was in his 60s. You are never too old or too young to get started.
There are 7 simple steps to getting what you want. This process is startlingly simple. So simple, in fact, that it is easy not to do.
- Schedule a “meeting” with yourself. Take 1 to 2 hours, with no distractions and just “think”. What makes you tick? How do you define happiness? What is your ideal life?
- Set defined goals for the next year and the next 3 years. You can add the 5 and 10-year goals once you find your groove. Remember, goals must be specific with a deadline (date) or they become fantasies.
- Post them in a place you see often (like screensavers or vision boards) so you can review them in the morning, throughout the day, and before you go to bed.
- Create a plan to reach your goals of having that ideal business and life and do 3 to 5 things each day that get you closer to those goals.
- Stay incredibly consistent. Maintain your momentum.
- Review, evaluate, change, and tweak as you need to so that you can stay on course.
- Build in some accountability structure and mindfulness practices to stay focused.
THIS is the simple ‘Law of Gestation.’ You plant in the spring and harvest in the fall. If you don’t water and weed, you don’t harvest. There are no shortcuts.
Your yield is the product of your effort.
You might be saying to yourself right now, I know all of this. I know I have to do it. Why haven’t I done this consistently? I suggest, no matter what your age, start now.
Every day you wait is a day longer it will take for you to get where you want to go.
Start with that meeting with yourself and build on your vision. Go get it.
Experience will tell you that success requires patience and persistence. Not just in your business but in your life.
