Success is all about sacrifice. People don’t make it to the top of their field without some level of it. Sacrifice, in my opinion at least initially, is about cutting out the “excess fat” in your life so to speak, that isn’t directly impacting your success. For example, you will have to sacrifice nights out with your friends and doing things most people do on a weekly or even sometimes daily basis. These types of things can feel uncomfortable at first, but eventually, the bigger picture will become more clear and you will be grateful that you dropped these behaviors and habits. There are many sacrifices you will need to make on your quest to success.
People won’t understand
Social pressure is one of if not the biggest reason why people have a difficult time giving up or limiting certain things or activities. For example, if all of your friends go out to the club and drink every weekend, they will expect you to come with them if that is the behavior from you that they have grown accustomed to. On my journey to where I am now, I have naturally shed groups of friends over time to focus on the things that are really important to me and my success. I used to spend time in circles where going out on Friday nights and drinking was the norm, but things change. I now spend the nights I used to spend with these groups of people doing more productive activities like working, reading, or spending time with the people who really matter in my life and are pushing me to be a better version of myself. It all starts with who you surround yourself with. Your network is your net worth. People who can’t or don’t want to understand the sacrifices you need to make in your life to pursue the things you need to pursue are not worth keeping around, at least in your immediate circle. This social pressure will be tough to deal with at first. You will feel ostracized, but this feeling will lead you to find a circle of likeminded people who will understand, accept, and propel you to where you want to go.
Your network is your net worth
This is a point I make often on this blog. Your network is your net worth in every sense. Who you spend time around most is who you will grow to emulate traits from. I see it in my own life every day, even down to the unique phrases of speech I pick up from the people I spend the most time with! Getting in a network of people who are aligned with your vision and share a similar one is CRUCIAL. Also, finding these people and then filtering them down even more to those who not only share a similar vision, but also compliment your strengths and weaknesses properly is like unlocking a superpower. For example, my partner Nick is super calm and level headed. He can keep his emotions under control like I could only dream of. My partner Gary also has a similar calm demeanor and is much easier to talk to under certain situations than I am. My partner Mike is the pessimist of the group in a good way. Gary, Nick, and I all have optimistic and visionary qualities and Mike is the complete opposite! He has kept us from making many bad decisions that we could have easily convinced ourselves were good ones. This small circle of like-minded people who all have different skill sets and strengths is the perfect compliment to success. You can only meet these types of people through sacrifice and “trimming the fat” off of an unproductive lifestyle.
Sacrifice doesn’t have to suck
People have this notion that sacrifice has to suck all the time. This really depends on how you look at it and how much time you let pass after a sacrifice is made. For example, going back to the club social circle from earlier, sacrificing time with them and partying might be hard at first. You might feel social pressure that what you’re doing is stupid from these people and you could second guess yourself. However, getting through that initial phase of doubt will lead to many epiphanies as it has to me. Through the cloud of doubt, I was able to get solid on my vision for my future and find amazing like-minded people to go reach my goals with. Without the sacrifices I’ve made, I would have never met the people I have and be in the position I’m in. If you look back at a sacrifice like this and see how much good it has done for your life over time, it no longer feels like a sacrifice and instead more like a blessing. The more fat you trim off your life, the more of these reflective epiphanies you will have down the line as time goes by and things fall into place. The keys to success are in your hands. All it takes is a little bit of sacrifice and putting yourself in a position to embrace and take advantage of the opportunities coming your way.