IT’S UPHILL FROM HERE
If you’re reading along here today, then you’re probably someone who’s committed themselves to the pursuit of success in some important area of life. Winning might look different for you than it does for me, of course, but the journey to get there has a few things in common for each of us. There are some harsh but important realities we have to accept if we’re serious about reaching our desired destination.
One of the harshest of those realities is that the success we say we’re after is uphill from here. Once we’ve identified the big, important things we want to accomplish, it's important that we recognize and accept the truth: that what we want, we have to go get. The effort we've put in so far has gotten us here, to this point, but going somewhere better will require something more. Coasting is not an option. Striving, struggling, climbing…that’s the only way forward. Accepting that difficult, inconvenient, uncomfortable reality clarifies some other key ideas for the journey ahead.
1) That reality - that it’s uphill from here - clarifies why so many people don’t get what they say they want. Everyone says they want to win, but not everyone is willing to do what winning requires. That's a defining characteristic of those we consider champions in any area of life, that unique level of commitment that separates the doers from the dreamers. If success was downhill - if we could comfortably and conveniently coast our way there? Then count everyone in. But when the reality of the journey to success is revealed, the losers usually bail. It’s a lot easier, after all, to come up with an excuse, to find someone to blame, or to accept that it's just too difficult. The truth? Winning is hard. That's why most people don't do it.
2) That reality - that it’s uphill from here - clarifies the difficult, inconvenient, uncomfortable decision you have in front of you today. The uphill climb in front of you today poses some important questions you have to answer, questions like…just how important is this thing to you? How bad do you want it? And ultimately, are you willing to pay the price that real success in that area requires? Those are questions only you can answer. Other people can show you the way. They can inspire and motivate you to make the right decision. They can push you and challenge you. But only you get to decide, here today, whether or not you’ll take the next step.
3) That reality - that it’s uphill from here - clarifies what you’ll need to reach your desired destination. Accepting that reality means accepting that more than just your presence today will be required. Simply showing up isn’t enough. You’ll need a few other things to equip you for the journey. You’ll need the discipline it takes to prioritize your choices, so you can keep what you want ahead of how you feel. You’ll need some resilience to keep pushing forward, especially when it starts to hurt. And you’ll need some perseverance, because if you’re serious about getting where you say you want to go, tomorrow only promises more of the same.
The difficult, inconvenient, uncomfortable reality - just like the path to success - has been laid out before you. It's uphill from here. So let’s do what champions do. Let's keep striving and struggling and climbing today. Onward and upward, toward our desired destination.
