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Tag: ambition

It’s a set up.

I say this phrase often, and most of the time people don’t know what I’m talking about.

I think of life as a set up.

Why? You can either set yourself up for success or failure.

Think about it: from the people you’re with to the clothes you wear to the books you read to the ways you spend your after hours, you are making choices. I’ll say it again.

You are making choices that directly impact your happiness and chance at success. Daily.

I know it can suck to hear this. And I also know that yes, life can throw curveballs and things that exist beyond our control. Accidents happen.

But generally speaking…

The reason you’re lonely isn’t their fault.

The people who are happy aren’t just lucky.

The successful people on top don’t just end up there.

It’s a result of painstakingly HARD WORK.

The choices aren’t always easy ones, and I won’t lie and tell you there won’t be days you feel like quitting.

Make an effort.

Put yourself in situations to gain the experience you need.

Surround yourself with people who can elevate, encourage, and inspire you.

Identify what you need to get where you want to go, and make it happen. 

Set yourself up for the life you truly want.

It doesn’t have to be pretty

Too often, we get caught up in the finished product before we even begin. We think about what it is going to look like, how it will be received, what people will say. We create an idea of “perfect” and scare ourselves away from starting.

Along the way, we were taught to color inside of the lines and cut straight across the dotted pattern. Imperfections and mistakes don’t add value. Uniqueness is risky, and we want to make sure our efforts are worth our time.

It doesn’t matter what it looks like when you start. In fact, intentionally screw something up. Start with the crudest iteration you can think of.

Something is better than nothing, especially when you’ve gotten in your own way.

envy

Instead of wasting time and energy wanting what someone else has…

Why not create it for yourself?

Do you want to win?

Every day I speak with individuals who tell me they want to succeed in a big way. While “success” can mean something different to each person, most people are looking to surpass the point they’ve arrived to date — a refreshed, higher, faster, better, cleaner, sharper, more focused state of being. Which seems pretty intuitive. People with ambition and drive want to move forward. Occupying the same space without any change one year from now can sound frightening, if not repulsive, to those with momentum and growth on the mind.

Yet, too often, these same individuals are taking specific actions in their lives to demonstrate otherwise, indirectly sabotaging their path towards greatness.

Find a mentor, a group, an outsider who will level with you and call your bluff. Put yourself in the position to listen openly and honestly, so that this time next year, you’ll have moved in the direction and at the speed you intended.