We’ve been conditioned by the little dopamine hits of social media likes, the fancy makeovers tools, the social filters to crave instantaneous results from minimal effort. It’s infiltrated our approach to just about everything – from quick-fix diets to overnight success businesses.
This type of achievement is slippery, usually intangible, or at best, very fragile. Unless our progress and achievement is built on a solid foundation of effort, being clear on our way and consistent, it can crack and crumble with the mere hint of doubt.
Without the foundation of effort, the flimsiest cause can break what we have built. I mean, it’s all around us right now. The precariousness of what we held as certainty has crumbled. The benefit has come to those of us who had the practices already in place. Those of us who recognize the value of effort and keep it going.
It can be challenging to recognize why the choices we make on a day-to-day basis matter when we are pummelled from every direction with messages that plant doubt about whether our efforts are all for nothing.
if you value effort, you get results
Each year when I facilitate the Biz Rocking Insider Program questions come up from our group that ultimately seek to get to the root of how to get the results they want, and what efforts are necessary or would be the most impactful for the greatest return. The same is true of my Culinary Nutrition Expert students.
They put in the effort. They get results.
Most often, when it comes to our lives and our daily practices, the root of what we want to know is: How can I get the best results with the least amount of effort?
The effort we put in matters. There is reward in working hard for something. In this moment. Today. And for the future we are building.
What we get out of our experience of life is often a direct reflection of the type of effort we put into it. Of course, challenges will come. That’s a given. Setbacks? Oh, yes! But the question comes back to us: what effort are we willing to give to learn, grow, evolve, practice and overcome?
all effort matters
Success in health, business, and relationships is a progressive exchange. It relies on us making choices in every given moment to put forth our best effort. It is our responsibility to bring effort to what we do and it is equally our responsibility to either learn from or celebrate the results of our efforts. And we hope that most often the learning and celebration come together. This inspires us to continue putting in effort.
I understand and know how challenging it is when we begin transitioning to live more consciously. Perhaps we recognize that our job is not serving our higher purpose, our lifestyle choices aren’t serving our health, or our friendships are simply no longer serving anyone involved. You look around and think – wait a second – is everything I am doing bad for me? Are the choices I am making bringing me what I am ultimately seeking?
It can be easy to become overwhelmed with the commitment to our effort, especially if every day we are exposed to information that may lead us to believe that our efforts still aren’t enough.
All of your efforts matter and they all add up to the life you are living today.
If you fail to put effort into having a thriving business, and one day you decide you want a different result, the efforts needs to reflect this change. You need to do more. (Or do things differently.)
If you realize you spent the better part of your life ignoring your health and now it needs your attention, how much effort do you think it will take to correct?
If you stop practicing love with your partner for one day, and that one day turns to two and then three and then weeks and months, what level of effort is needed to undo the effects?
Some days we will be more tired than others. Some days it will be harder to put in that effort. But every day, every bit of effort you can muster, is always worth it. Every choice counts and we have the ability to make these choices any and every minute of the day.
Rather than be overwhelmed by the thought of having to do it all perfectly right all the time, instead make the commitment to bring your effort. Know that the best things in life don’t happen by way of magic and unicorns (though making wishes on unicorns always helps). The truly great successes in our lives – the ones that are momentous, celebratory, monumental, game-changing and most awesome – come as a result of the effort we put in.
What I do know is that if we bring our effort every day, we will get results. And when we bring our effort on the really hard days, we may not love the results but we’ll be happier for trying. There is value in working hard for something. There is great reward in putting in the effort.
The one catch: we best be present to celebrate the results.
What’s most special of all is that when we bring our effort day after day, it becomes our habit. We continue to reap the benefit, but was once effort has become effortless.
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