Too many people have what I call a lotto mentality.  They want to hit the big score, but are willing to spend only a dollar to do it.  Granted, at some point, there will be one or more people who win the jackpot.  But the odds of success are miniscule, with many millions of people getting nothing.

They desire success but don't want to be inconvenienced to get it.  They would rather just do the things they like while avoiding anything distasteful.  These people do themselves a great disservice.  They fail to understand that only those who are willing to do whatever it takes achieve success.

It is certainly preferable to get whatever you want, without much exertion.  However, if achieving success were easy, everyone would attain it.  Anything worthwhile requires effort.  Only those who are willing to pay the price are able to reap the rewards.

There are no shortcuts.  You must be willing to do whatever it takes, whenever necessary.  Bringing your dreams to reality takes tenacity.  People grow complacent when they are comfortable.  Excuses are used to justify taking the path of least resistance in order to minimize exertion.

Unfortunately, this results in being unprepared for dealing with adversity.  When you are within your comfort zone, there is no impetus for the honing of your mental resolve.  Without significant challenges, your level of motivation can drop precipitously.

Imagine being on a cruise ship without knowing how to swim.  Although you are surrounded by water, you don't feel at risk since the large ship is very stable.  Plus, you have been on board many times without any mishaps.

You may have been advised that learning how to swim is prudent if you were going to be on the water.  But you never bothered because it seemed like so much work.  Besides, what kind of emergency could there be on a modern ship?

One day, while walking around the deck, there is an unexpected lurching to one side.  You loose your footing and fall overboard.  Now what do you do?  Although you can see land, all you can do is try to keep your head above water and hope help arrives before it's too late. You wish you had learned to swim before there was an emergency.  If you knew how to swim now, you could easily make it to shore.

Encountering adversity is like falling overboard.  You don't expect it, but you have to deal with it.  Being willing to do whatever it takes is the key to your survival.  This is an attitude, not a skill.  Everyone has the potential to do whatever is necessary, but not everyone taps into it when needed.

When the chips are down, and you want to make it through, a willingness to do whatever it takes is essential.  The action required may be inconvenient, unappealing, or difficult.  It doesn't matter.  Failing to do what you have to leads to prolonging problems.  You must be determined to reach your destination regardless of what you have to go through.  This mindset separates those people who are successful from those who constantly suffer.

When you are willing to do whatever it takes, you don't make excuses.  You start to take the necessary action without complaining.  You don't hesitatingly say you will try. You exclaim with certainty that you will succeed and not be stopped.  You are self-reliant, not dependent on others to fix your problems.  When you are willing to do whatever it takes, there won't be any limits to your accomplishments.

NOW AVAILABLE:  "Dare to Live Without Limits," the book.  Visit www.BryanGolden.com or your bookstore. Bryan is a management consultant, motivational speaker, author, and adjunct professor. E-mail Bryan at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or write him c/o this paper.  2008 Bryan Golden

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed