Exceptional, Without Exception, Requires More Effort Than Most Of Us Are Willing To Make - Grasshopper

Do you know someone who's exceptional at something? One thing about these folks seems abundantly clear to me:  They love and are committed to whatever they excel at.

What gets overlooked is how hard they work at their exceptionalness. It's work that most of us are unwilling to do.

 

We may covet their greatness but, too often, don't muster their grit.

 

Part of our inability to reach their level is the conditioning we've received from our culture to seek a shortcut. "7 Easy Steps To Greatness" is what we're spoon-fed instead of feeding ourselves the diet our champion is following.

 

I look at a football great: quarterback Tom Brady. Tom is approaching 39 years old and excelling in a sport that most people his age are retired from. Is he naturally gifted? No, he works harder at his craft than most with unwavering consistency.  The diet and exercise regime he follows is year round and it contributes to his ability to outperform players many years younger and physically stronger.

 

You've missed the point if you're a football player and are envious of someone like Tom Brady. You would get much better results if you retired your envy and employed emulation. Find out what the person does and do it like them. Warning: you'll have to work harder than you're used to.

 

I love photography and have many heroes whose work I admire greatly. I never wonder why my photos aren't as good as theirs; I know why. I'm not willing to work as hard and consistently as they do. It would be easy for me to conjure up a laundry list of reasons why they're lucky to be better than me but the dirty little secret is I'm unwilling to do what they do.

 

If you want to be exceptional and not an "also ran," you'll need to commit yourself to a routine that most others won't do, but can.

 

All the best,

John