People hugely underestimate the amount of real work required to achieve their goals.
If I realize how much work it takes to fulfill my goals, then it won’t be a shock when I need to put in the effort to accomplish them. In a world where accomplishing more while working less is glorified, it is often forgotten that we have to work hard to achieve our goals. And while this is usually said in the context of business and financial gain, this is true in many aspects of our lives. There are three areas where we also need to implement this.
1. Marriage. The myth of effortless success gives couples the impression that marriage is supposed to be easy. And if it’s not easy, something is wrong. And while there are definitely times when separation is necessary or inevitable, many times, what is required is work. Hard work on both ends to learn to be better. To learn to respond instead of react. To listen instead of insisting to be heard. True success in marriage comes from working hard on the relationship.
2. Parenting. As adults, we often fall into the habit of labeling kids as good kids and bad kids. But what if they weren’t either? What if they were just kids who have developed bad habits and good habits? And what if those habits came from good training and bad training? While it is true that kids have different personalities and respond differently to their environment, it is also true that true parenting requires really hard work. It requires a game plan. An eye on the future. Consistency. While some kids may be more compliant than others, all kids need training and love.
3. Personal goals. Whether it’s a health goal, a financial goal, a goal for the future, don’t fall prey to waiting for an easy solution or the silver bullet that will require no effort. Personal goals require real work. Don’t be shocked. Just keep going.
Overnight success, great kids, a beautiful marriage don’t really exist without hard work. They happen over a long period of time of consistency, learning, adjusting and readjusting, a lot of late nights working, talking, rolling up the sleeves and getting our hands dirty. The beautiful thing is that the more effort it takes, the more you’ll appreciate the outcome. It’s not even always the outcome of the goal, but the person you become along the way. A person who doesn’t underestimate the amount of real work required to achieve your goals.