The Price Of Greatness Is Expensive. Are You Willing To Pay It?
All too often, failure blinds leaders and coaches to the greatness that lies just behind the bend in the road.
“I shall be telling this with a sigh. Somewhere ages and ages hence: two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
— Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken
Why are some individuals able to cultivate mastery in their craft while others settle for mediocrity?
In short, some people expect to pay the price of greatness, while others, who may claim ambition and the desire to succeed, are unwilling to. The most talented leader and coach is usually not the winner.
So what then is that price of greatness?
Simply, it is determination, sacrifice, persistence, and discipline.
It’s the daily choice to take the road less traveled, one full of bumps, turns, and roadblocks. The road toward greatness does not have business hours. It only has production hours. Greatness is first a mindset and a changing of lifestyle that requires immense sacrifice.
Those who aspire and sustain greatness do the following religiously:
Keep a routine while staying focused.
Prioritize mental and physical fitness.
Are voracious in pursuit to learn, grow, and get better.
Always persist and find a way when life throws obstacles.
Take accountability by not complaining and making excuses.
Practice self-mastery by resisting social temptations and distractions.
Persistence is the will that drives a person to endure that sometimes bumpy ride. Recognize there will be failures on the road to greatness. Believe in yourself, and don’t lose sight of your vision, goals, and why you started.
Inspirational speaker and former Tennessee Volunteers football player Inky Johnson captures the essence of persistence brilliantly. He says, “Commitment is staying true to what you said you would do long after the mood that you said it in has left.”
All too often, failure blinds leaders and coaches to the greatness that lies just behind the bend in the road. It is only those with the determination and the will to win from within who realize you cannot have greatness without some resistance. Those who continually persist and discipline their minds and bodies to overcome obstacles ultimately achieve excellence.
Without question, it can be challenging to make sacrifices and persist. But that is why so many people are content to wallow in mediocrity. Many live in fear, never truly exploring and tapping into the different depths of who they authentically are. We can become complacent and end up accepting the smooth and comfortable path with less resistance. When we make that decision, we take the uneasy and inadequate contentment that comes with mediocrity.
Realize it is only those who are willing to endure the pain of the struggle who ultimately enjoy the rewards of greatness and see the fruits of their labor. Understand adversity is an experience, not a final act. The path of greatness and mastery in any field does not transpire overnight. It is a long transformative journey and meticulous process, not merely a destination.
So ask yourself today, are you willing to pay the price of greatness?
P.S. If you are in search of a book recommendation, our team at The Daily Coach highly recommends Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight. In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and board chairman Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company’s early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world’s most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands.
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