"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment."Jim Rohn
Part four of Exploring the Intersection of Endurance and Creativity.
Now that you are showing up, it's time to maximize your output by being disciplined.
Rags to riches stories and overnight sensations are the stuff of fairy-tales. It doesn't happen. If it does, it's because you are either in the right place at the right time, or you have a crazy amount of talent. Allow me to use our esteemed friend Mr. Picasso again.
Picasso was sitting in a café in Paris when an admirer approached him and asked if Picasso would create a quick sketch for him on a paper napkin. Picasso politely agreed, creating a sketch and handed back the napkin — but not before asking for a significant amount of money. The admirer was astonished: “How can you ask for so much? It took you a minute to draw this!” “No, Picasso replied, “It took me 40 years.”
Another, and more personal example is my brother, Seán. He is a YouTuber! Yes, weird job title. He goes by the name of Jack Septiceye and for those unfamiliar with what a YouTuber does, he plays video games whilst commenting—very funnily—on the content. He also does vlogs and comment answering videos for his followers. Oh, and he has a lot of followers. 7 million+ on YouTube and millions on other social networks. Not bad for a kid of 25 years old. How did he get where he is? He worked his butt off is how. When he was juggling college and his gaming, he would put in 15 to 18 hour days. Now that he is doing it full-time, his work ethic is no less committed. He goes above and beyond and has built a loyal fanbase through putting in the hours.
You have to put the hours in. Not only will it make you better at what you do, but it will also show you if you are doing it for the right reasons. Most successful people didn't start with fame or recognition in mind, they started out with a seed of something they loved and turned it into their life.
Discipline brings self-respect and the respect of others. It also has a knock-on effect and will influence those around you.
Michael Jordan, considered the greatest basketball player of all time, put his success down to hard work and not genetics. He said,
“I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
If you can manage your endurance well and carve out a time that allows you to turn the faucet of creativity on, it will make all the difference in the long-haul.
Creativity is in you and all around you. Your job is to learn how to harness its flow.
Tomorrow in part five: Stay True.