To Be Successful, You Have to Make a Choice
Many of us have lofty expectations for the future. We are bright-eyed and ready to see what’s in store for us. The quest for more than where we are stands firm in the distance, and we can’t wait to be there.
That aspiration drives us to do a lot of different things, some of which we come to appreciate. But there’s also a tug to settle with your current state and bypass any notion of progress that could make things difficult.
This brings about a choice each of us must make in order to be successful. (By that I mean constantly growing, constantly progressing towards your desired goals. I do not mean perfection.)
We can either do the bare minimum—doing only what’s required of us—and refuse to make an extra effort.
Or we can push the boundaries of what we’ve become accustomed to, stretching and reaching for improvement while we carry on.
On the road to reaching our goals, there are many obstacles. Some of them are worth your time; you can take it easy and dissect the issues at hand. But others are a complete waste of time and energy.
If there’s one thing the most successful people know how to do, it’s deciding what best to devote their energy on. They focus on what matters and ignore the rest.
That’s not to say their perfect in their pursuits. They still make mistakes because they are human, like us. Sometimes we forget how similar we are to them. With a few decision modifications, we’d end up succeeding too.
When I first started writing, I didn’t understand the importance of moving at my own pace. I wanted to be as fast and sharp as all the other writers I would see.
What I didn’t recognize was the beauty in the process that brings the pieces together.
Most of my time was spent trying to get the perfect image for my stories. After all, I am a photographer. I love the narratives that images can tell without even using words. They are powerful in and of themselves.
Yet, the battle over which image to use was blinding me of the primary task of writing my words first. Instead of allowing my thoughts to spill over on an empty page, I chose to swing at the air and waste more time than necessary.
That’s not to say that choosing an image still isn’t a little frustrating at times. But it’s a lot easier when you have the main idea in front of you. Then you can pick a photo that complements your point.
Every fight is not always worth it. There’s no secret formula for selecting which ones you should let go and which ones you should stand firm on. That’s more of a personal point of emphasis than anything else.
Identify what’s most important and what isn’t. Start there and you’ll eliminate excess baggage along the way.
There’s a pull to do what everyone else is doing, no matter what you’re trying to accomplish. In nearly every sphere of creativity, we can choose to copy the trends or set new ones.
We can fall prey to the line of followers or blaze our own trails.
Of course, it’s important to be a good follower and learn about what you’re practicing, making the most out of your efforts. Yet, that should never block you from using it your way, as unpopular as it may be.
No longer able to function on our own, we do what we see. We take in more than we put out. We speak before we take any steps at all, moving our mouths instead of our feet.
You shouldn’t feel too bad about it, though. That’s the popular thing to do nowadays.
It takes courage to go the other way. The path few are willing to take is the one leading to outcomes everyone else seeks.
Not that it’s some miraculous thing to do, but it definitely isn’t easy. People won’t like you for it (at least, most of the time).
Those who find themselves outside of the consensus view are perceived as the oddball. Still, in order to be successful, this is what trailblazers have done for centuries.
Until we realize that sometimes going against the grain is what moves society forward, we will remain afraid to do so. And that’s not centered around any specific task or activity we participate in.
From programming to sketching, we have to push limits to see the rewards ahead of us.
At the end of each day, the priority should be to do what matters to you. People will honor that. Maybe not all of them, but most.
Everything shouldn’t be a competition. The extraordinary thinkers contemplate how to fix a specific problem, come up with a potential solution, and share it.
They don’t spend their days worrying about the next guy or gal in the business because they are after something else: contribution.
The world today is full of complexities and issues to be addressed. There are problems going on, from small to large, every day. To change them, people have to see themselves as contributors instead of competitors.
You need to know that what you have to offer is valuable if taken seriously. Your gifts and passions aren’t by mistake. Use them in a way that provides help for those who need it.
We all want to be successful in life. But not many people want to do more than what’s required of them. That’s where you set yourself apart.
You can decide to do what everyone else is not willing to do in order to see growth, success. It won’t be easy. If it was, everyone would be doing it. But will always be worth it.
Sure, I have no doubt we’d all like to get rich doing what we love. That thought crosses my mind sometimes. But when our hearts experience the joy of sharing what matters to us, there’s nothing else comparable to it.
Still, no matter how much joy we get from getting our hands dirty in the pool of passion, we have to choose to go beyond the common comfort phase. It’s the only way to see progress.
Don’t be afraid of being unpopular for the sake of what matters to you. And when the obstacles arise on your journey, pick your battles carefully. Because contributing is much better than competing.
Success is a choice. You can make up in your own mind which way you’ll go. How that looks will differ from person to person. But the reality of deciding whether or not self-improvement is important remains the same for everyone.
Kevin Horton is a photographer, student, modest book-worm, and wanna-be web developer with a new-found love for writing. He writes helpful words about creativity, productivity, and the enjoyably simple life.
’Til next time, thanks for reading!
To Be Successful, You Have to Make a Choice
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