You’ve set out on your mission to become a leader and authority in your industry, but absolutely no one knows who you are.
This can be discouraging to people who are just starting out and it’s one of the main reasons why people give up quickly. You want it to happen overnight. You see successful people and wish you had what they have, except you haven’t put in any of the work. The envy you feel is illogical, but you feel it nonetheless.
I can remember several times where I would visit a popular blogger’s website and start to feel jealous. I looked at what they had and thought to myself, “why can’t this be me?”
In reality I should have been thinking, “This can be me one day. What can I learn from this person to help myself become better?”
When you shift from being envious to being curious, everything changes.
Today I’m going to share some thoughts on how to deal with the fact that you’re not quite where you’d like to be. Hopefully you’ll be able to see things in a proper light going forward so that you won’t get too discouraged on your journey to becoming great.
Everybody Starts at Zero
At one point in time, the person you look up to was in the same position that you’re in right now. Nobody knew who he or she was. They had an idea and a dream. They were probably nervous to start at the outset and I can almost guarantee they had to deal with doubts and anxiety along the way.
I’m writing this post on my Mac Book Pro. Steve Wozniak built Apple’s first computer, the Apple 1, more than 40 years ago in a garage. It takes time and progression to grow. The successful person you envy is the Mac Book Pro and you’re the Apple 1. You have to have the guts to make it out of the garage.
Nobody Wants to See How the Sausage is Made
When you look at somebody who is successful you see the end result and fail to realize the work that goes into making it there.
You’re going to have to work your ass off to build the life of your dreams. There’s no way around it. Forget about serendipity coming to the rescue. The odds of serendipity, luck, and ideal circumstances occurring increase when you put in the work. Of course there is some luck involved in becoming successful, but it has a lot more to do with putting yourself in a position to be lucky.
When you’re putting yourself in a position to succeed everyday, great opportunities will find you.
Lack of Patience Will Destroy You
I’m an extremely impatient person. Every day I have to remind myself that if I don’t master patience I will fail. I’ve tried to create a website a half a dozen times and they all ended up being incomplete pieces of junk. This time around, I focused on creating the type of content I that I truly want to share with readers. I’m learning to become more methodical and map out my ideas before I start taking action.
If you get a few things wrong in the beginning of the process, you’re doomed to fail in the long run. Build your house out of straw and the big bad wolf is going to blow your future away.
People are looking for magical tips and tricks to figure out how to become successful when we all know what it takes. Be patient, work hard, persevere, and you’ll be successful.
The time is going to pass either way. Spend it well. Spend it building. If you’re working diligently for years and you haven’t seen any results, maybe you should throw in the towel. but until you get some “skin in the game,” keep your head down and work.
Have Fun
Don’t forget to have fun. Don’t get lost in the tedium. Remember why you started to do whatever you’re doing in the first place. It’s most likely something that you enjoy or love so make sure to remember that when things get tough.
If you’re anything like me you’re driven and super impatient to succeed. It’s great to have drive, but don’t let your drive ruin your life. No matter what stage of the race you’re in, try to enjoy it. You don’t want to always look towards the future and miss what’s right in front of you.
If you persist, you’ll become successful. You might not end up exactly where you thought your journey would take you. There will be twists and turns along the way. But as long as you continue to work on yourself and improve a little each day, good things are bound to happen.
Enjoy being unknown. Feel free to create the type of work you want without fear of scrutiny. Never let go of your amateurish enthusiasm. Keep building.