Do Things Others Won't Do

One of the great differentiators between those who are successful and achieve their goals, and those who are disappointed that they’re not getting what they want in life, is a willingness to do hard things.

If the big vision you have for your life were easy, then everyone would have it. If the road to changing the world was easy then most people would be at the end of it by now. 

If you’re pursuing something that matters to you and it starts to get hard, that’s a good thing! It’s an indicator that you made it further than most other people would. And that means that you’re on the brink of getting the results most people can’t.

Les Brown says “To be successful, you must be willing to do the things today others won't do in order to have the things tomorrow others won't have.”

I tend to agree.

This is also the core message in Darren Hardy’s “The Compound Effect”. Being able to do the boring, monotonous, repetitive, unsexy and uninteresting work that others can’t bring themselves to do is precisely what separates them from the rest. This is something I do my best to live out because I know it unlocks my fullest potential.

It’s the reason I haven’t missed sharing a weekday podcast episode for over 6 years. It’s the reason I’ve done 50 pushups every day as consistently as possible since I was 13 years old. And it’s the reason why I send a voice note of gratitude to a friend or family member every day. 

And it’s led to millions of downloads, hundreds of thousands of pushups, and many strong and meaningful relationships.

But hard things don’t need to be as hard as they sound. When you invest in setting up your environment for success, hard things become easier. Accountability makes it less negotiable. A standard operating procedure makes it straightforward. Setting and revisiting a goal makes it clear what you’re working toward. 

It’s the system behind the boring, monotonous, repetitive, unsexy action that helps you do it consistently. And when you do, you have the things (like incredible health, an inspiring career, and a loving personal life) that others won’t.