THE PATH
Published on:
Sunday, December 31, 2023
By Aidan Steinbach
THE PATH
This partial continuation of my last writeup on stress.
One of the traps many people fall into is the idea that one day, the path to their goal will become easier. It will not. The expectation of this will only lead to disappointment and eventual burnout. You get stronger in the process, skills continue to accumulate, and the perception of difficulty at times, will subside. All this comes after countless repetitions and I mention this for two reasons:
1). Early on, assess whether or not you are comfortable with this level of hardship. If you lie to yourself, you will wind up wasting tremendous time and energy. It is analogous to rolling in Jiu-Jitsu with the guys who possess the mantra "I don't tap." Well, that is fine and dandy but you are going to be put to sleep in a good triangle no matter which way you slice it, so you might as well avoid the pain.
2). The rent is due every day. You are not entitled to progress just because you are sitting on the playing field, you have to be up and chasing the ball. Time does not linearly correlate to progress. Consistency compounds, but many people don't understand that the phrase is a double-edged sword. You can't do common work consistently for uncommon results. Work hard, and consistently. You need both.
"Success is never owned. It is leased, and rent is due every day."
J.J Watts, NFL Player
