Yesterday was about becoming better.
Today is about becoming great.
At its core they require the same.
Effort.
Patience.
Perseverance.
Continuous improvement.
Having a feedback loop.
But then, why do so few of us actually become great?
1) The journey is so much longer.
Going from knowing nothing to knowing something happens quickly.
Becoming adequate?
A bit more time, but doable in a few weeks or months.
Becoming good (top 25%)?
A year or 2, depending on the guidance you receive.
Top 5%?
Now we’re looking at 5 years or more.
Top 1%?
A decade, at least.
Top 1% of the top 1%?
A lifetime.
It’s not the amount of time that makes it difficult.
We’re breathing or walking every day for as long as we live.
Most of us do that without too much difficulty.
But what if you try to improve yourself by 1% in those areas every single day?
You can’t do things on auto-pilot.
Constantly testing, tweaking, refining.
Failed attempt upon failed attempt.
Until you find that breakthrough.
That raises your level.
And to then go at raising that level once again the next day.
It’s the mental game that makes it so difficult.
To keep getting back up.
You don’t have to enjoy every moment.
Most of us aren’t masochists.
But you’ve got to love the process.
We can muster it for a while.
We’re cruising and improving daily.
But once the hill becomes steeper?
That’s when most of us shift our focus to something else.
And there’s nothing wrong with that.
Unless greatness in a particular field is what you’re after.
2) Unknown territory.
As you improve, you’re not just facing a steeper climb.
You’re gradually doing it alone.
Mentors you looked up to can no longer guide you.
People you learnt from have nothing left to teach you.
Books, tutorials, videos, podcasts…they’ve become too basic.
“There is always someone better than you.”
For a long time that can be true.
It becomes increasingly difficult to find the person or resource that helps you raise your bar.
But they’re out there.
Until they aren’t.
Until you’ve left them behind you.
That’s when you realize.
To become great there is nobody beside yourself.
You can lean on others for a while.
Travel together.
But in the end, it’s you, your mind and all the processes you have set up.
A great life doesn’t demand greatness.
All it requires is the realization that greatness is within us.
That greatness, or pursuing it, is a choice.
And to be content with the choices you make.