In today’s on demand world people are used to getting what they want right now. The smart phones and tablets deliver instant information. We order food at the restaurant before we get there and it comes to our table in the first 5 minutes. This is the only world younger people know and what most other people have become accustomed to.
This on demand world does not work with true success. You see, success is something that you develop over time, it is not something you create today and have for the rest of your life. Success is built by being focused on a target, day in and day out for months and years. There are so many people that have great ideas that can change their lives, and the lives of many, but when the glory doesn’t happen in the first week or month they give up. They don’t have people beating down their doors for their product or signing up for their service or blog after a week or a month so they quit because they think – well obviously this doesn’t work. Then they go back to their daily grind of working for an average life instead of pushing forward to realize their dreams and potential.
True long term success is built on the accumulation of small victories won over time. I view success as a war with the ultimate goal of conquering my potential. Admittedly this is a war I cannot win because the more I achieve the more potential I realize I have – but that is for another time.
The most important thing to remember is that success is a marathon, not sprint. It takes time, perseverance, guts, heart, stamina, and an unwavering commitment to achieve. It takes day after day, month after month, and year after year, of fighting for what you want. Then you wake up one day and people say – “Wow you’re an overnight success” because in the view of today’s on demand world you just showed up.
Dave Dagostino 