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Don’t get complacent. If you’ve worked hard to get to where you’re at, don’t set cruise control. Realize that there is always going to be someone hungrier than you, willing to do things that you used to do, but grew tired of. Always have a goal in mind.

“Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford

Be a dreamer. Be an optimist. But have a game plan to actually achieve your goal. It won’t happen on its own or because you want it to. You need to be able to take some action every day/week to get you closer to your goal. Stretch yourself. Don’t pick easy goals just so you can say you reached your goal. Goals, in addition to being S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable/achievable, relevant, and timely), should be exciting and a little intimidating.

“No man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity, for he is not permitted to prove himself.” – Seneca

Think of the best stories, whether in fiction, in history, or in sports. They all follow a similar story arc, which has affectionately been coined “The Hero’s Journey.”

In the hero’s journey, the hero has a calling that takes him/her on an adventure (whether it is willingly chosen by them or reluctantly accepted). On their journey, they meet friends and make allies to join them on their quest. At some point on their quest, they experience hardships and doubt. But, when the situation looks like it can’t get any worse, the hero keeps moving and is able to overcome their adversity. They return stronger than ever and triumph over their enemies.

This is the basic premise for all great action/adventure stories (starting with Jesus/The Bible and continuing on through The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Harry Potter), but if you look carefully, you’ll see this throughout history and sports as well (the making of the United States as we know it, the 2004 Boston Red Sox overcoming a 3-0 series deficit to defeat the New York Yankees, etc.).

We love The Hero’s Journey whether we know it or not. But guess what? You’re living The Hero’s Journey! And you’re the protagonist – you’re the hero! Life is an adventure. You pick up friends along the way and have many ups and downs. You have to find ways to keep going when you feel that you can’t take another step or that the weight of the world is on your shoulders.

Overcome adversity and be the hero of your own story.

“Never mistake motion for action.” – Ernest Hemingway

Just because you’re busy, doesn’t mean that you’re working on the right things to move you towards your big picture goals.

Knocking off 10 trivial things from your “To Do” list might feel productive, but could you have spent your time better by completing one important task instead of 10 minuscule tasks?

Being efficient is not the same as being effective. Strive to be effective. Prioritize, eliminate, delegate, automate, and then focus on what really matters.

If you want to succeed, you need to be disciplined. This is true for any area in your life. If you want to be physically fit, you have to have the discipline to regularly work out and eat well. If you want to be financially free, you have to have the discipline to earn, save, and invest more than you spend. If you want to increase your knowledge, you have to have the discipline to read books or articles relevant to the topic on which you want more knowledge.

Most people say they want to get better in at least one of the areas listed above, but don’t have the discipline to reach their potential. Discipline is hard. It’s about doing things because you know that you need to do them, even if it’s not necessarily what you want to be doing.

If you let your impulsive, inner child make your daily decisions, you’re almost always going to choose instant satisfaction over delayed gratification. And while this may feel good in the moment, it is hurting your long term odds for success one decision at a time.