Life is full of shortcuts. Ways to get ahead in life without actually putting in the work it takes to get there. In fact, shortcuts are one of the most common things sold on TV. Especially on late night infomercials and especially in the health and fitness world.
Every other commercial offers people a way to look good or feel great while putting in only minimal effort. Every fast-food commercial offers the ability to purchase great tasting food without the hassle of making something to eat. Whether it’s a new machine or diet or program, everywhere we turn it seems like there is an opportunity to take a shortcut to the final destination. Opportunity to get results without the work. Gain without the pain. And profit without the process.
I talked a little about my journey to becoming a fitness model without taking shortcuts and the process I went though to get there in another post. To read that click here.
The world is full of shortcuts and people who take them. Instead of working out and eating right the world offers us liposuction and fat freezing. Instead of working hard and earning money the world offers us the lottery and get-rich-quick schemes. Instead of spending time developing relationships and strengthening communication the world offers us The Bachelor and Facebook.
Now, I am not here to bash infomercials or fast-food. I’m not against Facebook or getting rich quickly. I also know that sometimes people (myself included) need a little help getting to their goals. And there is nothing wrong with seeking the best methods, the greatest program, and the smartest assistance you can get on your journey. But I am against the idea that the results can be had without the process.
Let me tell you the reason shortcuts don’t work in the long run.
Shortcuts don’t work because they don’t develop the tools necessary to keep you where the shortcut takes you. For example, what if you were in very poor health and physically out of shape, then one day you were instantly in great shape and healthy; would you be able to stay that way? No. Because the tools you develop trying to get in shape are the same tools that you will need to stay in shape.
You learn the skills needed to stay where you are supposed to be by developing those skills while getting there.
The time spent waiting to get where you want to be is where you become who you will be when you get there. That is the reason people who take shortcuts to the top have great difficulty in staying where the shortcut has taken them. They have not spent time learning the skills that only come from putting in the work to get there.
So don’t be afraid of the process. Don’t be afraid of putting in the work. And don’t be discouraged by the perseverance required. Because it’s during the process that you become strong enough to handle the result.
[Tweet theme=”tweet-box-normal-blue”]It’s during the process that you become strong enough to handle the result[/Tweet]
