How to Become an Overnight Success

Work. Really hard. For years. And when a door opens, run through it. When opportunity presents itself, don’t just grab it — knock it down, toss it on your back, and sprint until you’re ready to throw up. Suck in more air and run even harder. Ignore the pain and head for the light. Run as if darkness itself is chasing you and failed steps will take your soul.

There is no such thing as an overnight success. There is only the dream of the overnight success: the myth, the legend, the want that we all have.

Lasting success is the result of hard work. Period. Dot.

If you want something, go get it. But don’t think it will come overnight. It never does. Be prepared to work hard, for years.

Expect to be attacked. Expect to be ridiculed. Expect to be ignored.

Breathe. Hurt. Suffer. Smile.

And maybe, one day, you’ll find yourself wondering how you got so lucky — and you’ll realize it wasn’t luck at all.

Now, get back to working on your dream.

(Image courtesy of Nicole Bedard Photography.)

Kick Your Own Butt

Kick yourself in the ass. Go ahead. You know you need to. You know there is something that you should be doing, and yet you’re not doing it. There may be a whole list of things.

I’m like you — I’ve got a list idling over there on the “Ignore” setting. And a whole list of lame excuses to go with it: too busy, too many commitments, too much blah blah blah.

The real truth (don’t you love that phrase? Real truth? Like there could be fake truth?) is that the list sits undone because we don’t want to do those things. It’s simple. We don’t want to do them, so we don’t do them. And then we sit there, guilty, eating chocolate and watching “House” instead of doing hill sprints or filing all that paperwork. (Oh wait, sorry, that was just me.)

Kick yourself in the ass. The day — and the week — will only get better after you do.

(Image courtesy of Nicole Bedard Photography.)

We Tell Ourselves

We tell ourselves all sorts of things.

“This weight is too heavy for me.” “I’m not a fast runner.” “I’ve never been agile.”

Well, f*** that.

Every time you tell yourself bullshit, you’re limiting yourself. Just because something was, doesn’t mean it has to be.

I’m slow as hell when I run. What’s that mean I should do? Run more. Get better. Get more efficient. Get faster.

You’re weak at the front squat. What should you do? Front squat more. Get better. Get more efficient. Get stronger.

Then work like hell to become that.

(Image courtesy of Nicole Bedard Photography.)