To achieve anything that has value requires sacrifice. The question is: what are you willing to sacrifice to achieve your dreams?
Some say that the repetition of an activity or set of activities with the objective of a different outcome is insanity. If you aren’t yet where you want to be in life, or you haven’t accomplished that goal, you must recognize that something in your life requires changing.
You can’t complain about not finding fulfillment, or achieving your goals, or finding happiness until you make some changes. And the changes you need to make will require some sacrifice.
Many people recognize that they need to make sacrifices to achieve their dreams; however, very few do so. Why? Because it is easier to complain about what is wrong in your life than taking action to change it.
You constantly talk about starting that business that you have always dreamed about, but instead, you spend Saturday hungover from Friday night, and you spend all day Sunday watching football.
Maybe you set a goal to lose weight and get in shape, but you instead opt to watch re-runs of your favorite tv show instead of going to the gym or making healthy meals.
You have always wanted to have a better relationship with your son, but instead, you prioritize your career and personal hobbies over spending time with him.
The first step in achieving what you want out of life is realizing that you must make sacrifices. You can’t keep living the same life and expect to accomplish your goals. It is just not possible. Something must change to get a different result.
Taking Action To Make Sacrifices
When you finally decide to make sacrifices and take action, you might think you have less time each day to get everything done. However, you will soon realize that there is plenty of time each day, you just no longer have time for the things that used to distract you.
All of a sudden you don’t have as much time for Sunday football or watching re-runs of your favorite tv show or your hobbies. But those are your sacrifices. Those are things you are willing to give up so you can start that business, lose that weight, and have more time to build a better relationship with your son.
When you stop wasting your time and money with pointless activities that distract you from getting to where you want to be, you can prioritize the things in your life that matter to you.
You Have 86,400 Seconds Each Day (The Same Amount Of Time As Everyone Else)
All those other successful people you hear about, you have the same as them. You have 86,400 seconds each day to move one step closer to your dreams.
Each day, take one step closer to that big-picture goal, that dream, that ambition. In a month, you have taken 30 steps. In a year, you have taken over 360 steps. That is a considerable amount of steps.
To take that many steps, however, you will be required to sacrifice. And the question is, what are you willing to sacrifice to achieve your dreams?
All Successful Individuals Have Made Sacrifices
When you talk about successful individuals, who comes to mind? Maybe a business leader, an activist, an actress or a professional athlete, a politician?
Individuals like Elon Musk, Jenifer Anniston, Lebron James, Barack Obama, and Will Smith, are some of the most recognizable and successful individuals in modern society.
It is important to recognize that these individuals are human, just like you. They have been given the same amount of time each day as you to chase after their dreams. There is nothing extraordinary about them.
However, they found an interest and decided to make sacrifices in other areas of their life so they could chase their passion or their dream. They chose to devote more time to perfecting their craft than to pursue other interests.
Sure, you can make excuses that some successful individuals might come from families with money, or have connections, or influence. True, some might.
However, there is a long list of individuals who came from places with a lot less than what you have and were still able to sacrifice to achieve their dreams. Instead of complaining about it, make yourself an example of how you came from nothing and went on to achieve greatness.
Furthermore, why are you complaining that others have it easier than you? When you don’t have to work hard or give up something of importance for an achievement, it isn’t a very significant achievement.
The more you sacrifice, the sweeter the success will taste. Having the commitment and persistence to keep taking a step each day will make the result that much more worth it.
Making Sacrifices Are Tough (They Require Patience And Self-Discipline)
It is tough to make sacrifices, there is no question about that. Especially when you are starting out on a new journey.
You are working hard, you are making an effort to prioritize the people, activities or things that will help you achieve your goals. But along with sacrifice, you need to have patience and self-discipline.
Things worth having take time, so patience in the process is critical. While self-discipline is required to keep you motivate towards your end goal.
You may start to think, ‘I sacrificed all these things and I’m still no further ahead than where I was when I started.’ While you may have not yet reaped the benefits of your sacrifices, you definitely won’t achieve them if you give up.
For so many people, success is just around the corner, but instead of taking the corner, they get demotivated and stop at the end of the road. They don’t have the self-discipline to remain patient while they continue to work towards their goals.
Remain Patient And Disciplined, You Will Be Rewarded For Your Sacrifices
Patience is where most people fall short. And with everything so easily accessible these days, it is becoming more and more difficult to remain patient.
The answers to any questions can be found on the smartphone that you carry in your pocket everywhere you go. Food can be ordered from a restaurant and be on your kitchen table within less than an hour.
Instant messaging services keep you connected with everyone at all times. Music is readily available at the push of a button, and you can easily skip to the next song when you are getting bored.
Packages that are shipped from the other side of the world can be on your doorstep within days. Technology is taking everything that once required a time factor to now be available instantly. It is no wonder we live in a world that lacks patience.
When you are struggling to remain disciplined and patient, remember why you initially made the sacrifices that you did. You sacrificed them for a reason. You sacrificed them to create a better version of yourself or a better life than you are living right now for yourself and those around you.
Remember that you are working towards a bigger goal than the instant gratification you are used to in other aspects of your life. Keep your head down, remain focused, and keep making progress one step at a time.
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