Little Things (Done Repeatedly) Add Up to Big Things
When people find out what I do for a living, it is not at all uncommon for them to ask me for “hacks” or “shortcuts,” to achieve some kind of result or goal that they have. Most of them are surprised when I tell them I don’t have any.
Peak Performance does not come from shortcuts or hacks, it comes from efficiency. Efficiency comes from a combination of mental and physical habits that you develop through your efforts. There are no shortcuts or hacks (that I am aware of) for hard work, desire, or effort.
I believe consistency equals excellence, and it has become apparent to me that the most consistent performers are invariably the ones who work the hardest, in all aspects of life. I have also noticed that those who work the hardest are not looking for shortcuts, but are working to develop themselves and gain an edge over their competitors.
Most of my clients are shocked by how simple changes in the way they think about things can add up to exponential growth in how they perform over time. Sometimes this is as simple as replacing one word in their internal dialogue, with another more self-enhancing word.
Small changes in how you do things, repeated daily, add up to significant progress. People who do not normally read books are shocked to learn that if they just spend 15-minutes a day reading books they will have read 12-20 complete books by the end of a year.
I’m pretty certain most people reading this would think of my above example as a beneficial thing to do. Unfortunately, doing less productive things repeatedly also leads to big things, but not in a positive way.
The brain is naturally lazy, and as a result we all end up developing a lot of less than optimal ways of processing and doing things. This leads to bad habits, including many that we are often unaware of because they are so commonly accepted as “normal” ways of doing things in our society.
One such example would be eating fast food often. Few would argue that this promotes optimal health, as it often leads to obesity, heart disease, and other undesirable outcomes. Some other similar “normal” activities that can become destructive to your development, when used in excess, include alcohol, social media, and sex.
The bottom line is that we have the power to make small changes in our lives that will lead to either positive or negative outcomes. I urge you to take the road less traveled and practice ones that lead to positive outcomes, that way you will find out how great you can truly be.
You can follow Sam on Twitter @SuperTaoInc
