The Runway Before Takeoff

[More on Work – III]

If I showed you a three second video of a plane taking off, from its front wheels leaving the ground to it being entirely airborne, it would be foolish to think the runway didn’t extend back a quarter mile.

If I showed you a still shot of Michael Jordan, mid-flight, during his famous free-throw line dunk, it would be foolish to think he didn’t get a running start.

The short videos we see and the still shots we come across never tell the back story. They are edited and cropped to capture a moment in time. The back story would take much longer. There is always, always, always a back story!

Why, then, when we hear of "instant success stories" do we assume they are instant? There is always a back story. Always a runway. Always months and years of hard work, day in and day out, that lead up to the moment the story begins.

Overnight success is never overnight.
Instant victory is never instantaneous.
Quick and easy, straight paths toward your goal are never quick, easy, or straight.

When I tell your story, it’ll appear to be an overnight success. But you and I both know that you need to put in the work, show up tomorrow and the next 1,000 days, and commit to being better.

Eventually it will give . . . and we can talk about your “instant success".