The one shortcut to success you need to know…
“There are no shortcuts to anyplace worth going.” – Helen Keller
All of my mentors, some more financially successful than others and some more spiritually advanced than others, all have one, major common thread: they all took the long and winding road to where they are today.
No matter what anyone may tell you, there simply are NO shortcuts in life.
Not in relationships. Not in business. Not in health… Not in life!
Along the journey, I have seen many friends and colleagues chase money, get distracted by shiny object syndrome, compare themselves to others, and not listen to their intuition. Every time, never fail, they end up feeling lost, frustrated and unfulfilled.
From my experience, I believe we’re all on a journey – that begins long before life and end long after death. I believe there are way too many “coincidences” and “synchronicities” for birth to be the light switch “on” and death be “off.” We are here to learn, grow, explore and connect.
If we’re always so caught up in the destination and searching for shortcuts, are we devoting time to appreciate and enjoy the journey?
I saw an image the other day on Instagram that read “Faking it: How to seem like a better person without actually improving yourself.” Now, why in the world would anyone truly want that?
I understand that in the instant gratification society we live in today any methods to “fake it” and get something faster are super appealing. I also understand that “seeming like a better person” may sound great. But on a soulful level, is that really why we’re here? To deceive others and manipulate them to do things for us and buy things from us?
Growing up I had the fortune of being raised in a family with great morals, ethics, and values; honesty was our greatest ideal: was something we could never truly achieve but always stride towards.
Spellcheck just corrected “stride,” wanting me to use “strive”…I consciously used the word stride because it brings more meaning to the point of this article.
While strive means: to make great efforts to achieve or obtain something; and struggle or fight vigorously, stride means a long decisive step; and a step or stage in progress toward an aim.
The difference in these two words is a single letter but when used, subconsciously it can change everything for you.
How?
Simple: Most people “try” and “attempt” to reach their goals, while few actually “decide” and “commit” to achieve something. This could be as little as waking up early tomorrow morning to attend a 6am yoga class or as big as terraforming the next discovered habitable planet. Did you set your alarm but miss class? That’s you striving. Did you get to bed early, set your alarm and make it to class? That’s you striding.
When most people try, they face a challenge, give up and say “oh well, at least I tried.” While there is merit to trying your best and realizing you are not doing something properly, it is a whole other mindset to step into the game determined and committed to achieving a specific outcome.
The saying goes, “When the why is strong enough, the how becomes simple.” I am I NOT implying that the how becomes as easy What I AM saying is that when your vision is so clear and strong, you proceed with an attitude of “I will not be denied! And I will conquer!”
Enter in the concept of shortcuts. Every successful entrepreneur, athlete, artist and any professional, got to where they are because they committed the necessary time, effort and devotion to mastering their craft. They did NOT take shortcuts.
Sure, LeBron James skipped college, jumping right to the NBA but that is because he was NBA ready! He proved this by averaging 21 points, 6 assists and 5.5 rebounds a game during his rookie year. This is a person that trains day in and day out, round the clock, all year long, to devote his life to the game of basketball. This mentality and level of commitment (and talent, of course) have won him 3 NBA titles, 4 MVP awards, 3 NBA Finals MVP awards, 2 Olympic golds, and NBA Rookie of the year. All of this was accomplished by taking the road less traveled. Even the most talented of individuals knows the value AND necessity of their efforts and level of commitment.
Let’s try another example. Have a look at a real estate developer. Any development project will face a number of challenges and can often exceed the projected timeline by 25-50%. If the developer wanted to make things happen quicker, he could certainly take shortcuts; skip waiting for the foundation to fully dry and settle, buy cheaper hardware, use fewer screws and wood, and cut corners just about every way you can imagine. However, what happens down the road? Three, six or 12 months later? The housing development begins to crumble and all of that work goes down the drain. And his reputation? Tarnished forever.
What the HECK does this have to do with digital marketing?
Imagine your business as that development. Is your merchant account set up properly? Are you polling your potential customers? Do you meet regularly with your team? Are you doing a full systems check once a month (at least)? Is your upsell page congruent with your tripwire page? Did you do your market research? Is your company mission clear?
Or are you taking short cuts?
Do you know where those shortcuts are leading you?
They are the fastest avenue to a headache, heartache and money loss that you have ever seen. Those are the only shortcuts they truly provide.
So many business owners make these mistake.
It is unfathomable for us to imagine our home builder taking shortcuts on our dream property, but for some reason, it’s become an entire industry to provide shortcuts to marketing campaigns. What this results in are a lot of online marketers who are lacking a core mission within their company and a sustainable online business.
This begs the question: what is YOUR goal?
Is it just about getting to the top or is it about growth and adventure along the way?
My message here is rather simple: life is not about the destination but the journey. ← That can be read in 2 seconds and undervalued for an entire lifetime. My goal is that you gain awareness of the choices you make and the actions you take. And of course, how it all relates back to your business.
Next time you are faced with a fork in the road, one way leading to quick success and the other to long-term sustainable growth… which will you choose?
So, are you pouring your foundation or skimping on supplies? Are you training every day or assuming talent is enough? Are you investing in your future, your story and your journey? Or did you just download another shortcut manual? Whatever you choose, choose wisely. There are no shortcuts.
Elan
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