I admire people who have accomplished big things. I think most of us do. Whether with jealousy or admiration, we look at them and are impressed with what they have done (or are doing). And when we see people that have accomplished things like we want, it’s natural that we want to “get their roadmap.” We want to borrow what they have done, so it can naturally lead to what we want too. That makes sense. The problem with this is, we tend to look at the destination on the map…not so much the journey. We look at the apex of the mountain…not the trails. We want to catapult to the gourmet dinner by using the microwave. The more I study people I admire (and we have more and more access to them now), the more I understand that it’s not about the end goal. As Jeff Haden writes today about teen driver Hallie Deegan, the most driven people focus on obsessively on the process. Hallie wants to become a professional driver, so she is not focused on things that don’t move her toward that goal every day.
*When I ask her if she worries about someday looking back on on things she didn’t get to experience, she’s quick to answer.
“If I wanted to do the ‘typical’ things other people my age do,” she says, “I would. I want to train. I want to get better. In my mind, if there is something I want to do well… I don’t want to waste time doing things that won’t help me.”
I love this. The reality is, most people put in average (or below average) effort toward their goals, and then wonder why they are getting average results. If you want to achieve something special, you have to act special. You have to do what most people are unwilling to do. In his most recent vlog, Casey Neistat explains his daily routine. What is he doing at 5am? He is working. Oh…and then he talks to Navy Seal Jocko Willink about why this works. So regardless of what you are trying to accomplish, it’s about the work. Set the big goal. That’s very important. But the step that most people skip is the daily work you need to do to get there. What is that? What do you need to do (that most people are unwilling to do) to move you toward it? Now. Go do that. Every day. We are posting new content every day. Make sure you never miss an update! Sign up for our VIP newsletter. We want to provide you motivation and inspiration to get you moving toward your goals. Sign up below.
