Bodybuilder, Heather, when she started training, she didn’t have a pair of weightlifting shoes. So, she borrowed a beat up pair that was riddled with cracked leather. They were easily over 10 years old. For months, I would come into the gym and there was Heather, working her butt off in those crappy, old shoes.
What happened?
She qualified to compete in the National Championships — with shoes that were barely holding themselves together.
Results like that serve as a reminder of what is actually required for success.
Think about all of the things you assume that you need to succeed — the “right” gear, the “right” credentials, the “right” experiences, the “right” degree — how much is that stuff really worth? How much of it is actually required for success?
Wasting Time on the Last 10%
We love to obsess over tactics and strategies that make the last 10% of difference.
For example: Didn’t have a good workout?
Well then, let’s debate all of the reasons why it could have been something other than you. Maybe you need to have your post–workout protein shake 30 minutes after working out instead of 60 minutes after working out. Maybe you need to get a better pair of shoes. Or a belt. Or a sweat–wicking shirt. Or knee sleeves.
What’s incredible is that these are things we actually waste time on! I’ve heard all of those crazy excuses mentioned in conversations. I’ve even said some of them myself.
Why? Because it’s easier to waste time debating the last 10% of improvement than it is to just do the thing that makes 90% of the difference. It’s easier to claim that you need a better diet plan or a new workout template or different gear than it is to admit that what you really need is to not miss a workout for the next six months.
This same idea holds true for diets and nutrition, business and entrepreneurship, writing and art, and virtually any other endeavor we attempt. We want strategies that scale. We want tactics that are optimized. But eventually, you realize that the biggest difference between success and failure comes from mastering the fundamentals.
Maybe a faster computer will make Stephen King a better writer … because he has already mastered the fundamentals of writing every day.
Maybe optimal meal timing will make an Olympic swimmer a better athlete … because she has already mastered the fundamentals of eating healthy and training hard.
Maybe a better guitar will make Eric Clapton a better musician … because he has already mastered the fundamentals of playing consistently.
But for most of us, the final 10% of optimization will rarely lead to the difference we’re looking to achieve.
The greatest skill
Here’s the single greatest skill in any endeavor: doing the work.
Not doing the work that is easy for you to do. Not doing the work that makes you look good. Not doing the work when you feel inspired. Just doing the work.
You might not be a brilliant writer, but if you actually write something each week, then you’ll be better than most because you are doing the work.
You might not be an incredible athlete, but if you never miss workouts, then you’ll be better than most because you are doing the work.
You might not be a savvy business person, but if you make a point to serve your customers every single day, then you’ll be better than most because you are doing the work.
And so it goes for any and every challenge we face. People love to soak in the details, search for new tactics, and debate the things that make a tiny difference. But at the end of the day, the greatest skill is always doing the work. That’s what makes the difference between professionals and amateurs.
What you don’t need?
You don’t need a better computer to become a good writer. You don’t need a better guitar to learn how to play. You don’t need a better camera to become a good photographer. You don’t need more experience to become a public speaker. You don’t need more credentials to build a business. And you don’t need awesome weightlifting shoes to become a good weightlifter.
You don’t need any of it.
What you do need is to make a decision, set a schedule, and get started.
What you need is to do the work.
The difference between professionals and amateurs?
It doesn’t matter what you are trying to become better at, if you only do the work when you’re motivated, then you’ll never be consistent enough to become a professional.
The ability to show up every day, stick to the schedule, and do the work — especially when you don’t feel like it — is so valuable that it is literally all you need to become better 99% of the time.
I’ve seen this in my own experiences…
When I don’t miss workouts, I get in the best shape of my life. When I write every week, I become a better writer. When I travel and take my camera out every day, I take better photos.
It’s simple and powerful. But why is it so difficult?
The pain of being a pro
Approaching your goals — whatever they are — with the attitude of a professional isn’t easy. In fact, being a pro is painful.
The simple fact of the matter is that most of the time we are inconsistent. We all have goals that we would like to achieve and dreams that we would like to fulfill, but it doesn’t matter what you are trying to become better at, if you only do the work when it’s convenient or exciting, then you’ll never be consistent enough to achieve remarkable results.
I can guarantee that if you manage to start a habit and keep sticking to it, there will be days when you feel like quitting. When you start a business, there will be days when you don’t feel like showing up. When you’re at the gym, there will be sets that you don’t feel like finishing. When it’s time to write, there will be days that you don’t feel like typing. But stepping up when it’s annoying or painful or draining to do so, that’s what makes the difference between a professional and an amateur.
Professionals stick to the schedule, amateurs let life get in the way. Professionals know what is important to them and work towards it with purpose, amateurs get pulled off course by the urgencies of life.
You’ll never regret starting important work
Some people might think I’m promoting the benefits of being a workaholic. “Professionals work harder than everyone else and that’s why they’re great.” Actually, that’s not it at all.
Being a pro is about having the discipline to commit to what is important to you instead of merely saying something is important to you. It’s about starting when you feel like stopping, not because you want to work more, but because your goal is important enough to you that you don’t simply work on it when it’s convenient. Becoming a pro is about making your priorities a reality.
There have been a lot of sets that I haven’t felt like finishing, but I’ve never regretted doing the workout. There have been a lot of texts I haven’t felt like writing, but I’ve never regretted publishing on schedule. There have been a lot of days I’ve felt like relaxing, but I’ve never regretted showing up and working on something that is important to me.
Becoming a pro doesn’t mean you’re a workaholic. It means that you’re good at making time for what matters to you — especially when you don’t feel like it — instead of playing the role of the victim and letting life happen to you.
How to become a pro?
Going about your work like a pro isn’t easy, but it’s also not as complicated or difficult as you might think. There are three steps.
1. Decide what you want to be good at.
Purpose is everything. If you know what you want, then getting it is much easier. This sounds simple, but in my experience even people who are smart, creative, and talented rarely know exactly what they are working for and why.
2. Set a schedule for your actions.
Once you know what you want, set a schedule for actually doing it.
Note: Don’t make the same mistake I have made, which is setting a schedule based on results. Don’t map out how much weight you want to lose each week or how much money you want to make. “Lose 5 pounds” is not an action you can perform. “Do three sets of squats” is an action you can perform.
You want to set a schedule based on actions you can do, not results that you want.
3. Stick to your schedule for one week.
Stop thinking about how hard it will be to follow a schedule for a month or a year. Just follow it for this week. For the next 7 days, don’t let distractions get in the way.
Setting a schedule doesn’t make you a professional, following it does. Don’t be a writer, be writing. Don’t be a lifter, be lifting. For one week, do the things you want to do without letting life get in the way. Next week, start again.
You are not alone
Everyone’s journey is their own, but you don’t have to face the pain of becoming a pro all by yourself. This website is the home to a small community of committed people who are looking to become stronger and healthier, more creative and more skilled, and better friends and family members. We’re all looking to improve and I’d love to help you however I can.
What areas of life do you want to be a professional in? What’s important to you?
I hope you enjoyed the content on what it takes to succeed?
If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave them in the comments!
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