A curious thing happens when you've been in the game for as long as I have.
You'll encounter people with tremendous talent.
You'll be inspired by incredible work ethic.
You'll be suffocated in self-doubt at the skills of some of your peers, many of whom are younger than you.
You'll lose sleep over how much more money others are making than you.
You'll be hit by relentless waves of worry as you contemplate quitting for the one-hundredth time.
But, if you're like me and stay in the arena long enough, you'll have encountered something else that's also curious…
People who were doing great quit.
They just stop.
They burn out.
They drop off cold.
Maybe they got tired.
Maybe they thought they were too old.
Maybe they had a baby and used that as a reason.
Maybe they themselves had self-doubt in the face of newcomers who they deemed more talented than they were.
Maybe they saw their views drop, and they decided to pivot platforms or even industries.
Some people sink into the shadows and are gone for so long you're prompted to do a Google search for their obituary.
People quit all the time.
And when they do, all the benefits of accumulation stop too.
This includes exponential growth, which comes only when you're willing to brave the most dismaying setbacks after a time.
Quitting is easy when you have yet to see the traction.
But it was quietly building all the time if you'd just had the patience to see it through.
Because the gold really is in the accumulation of output and the build-up of repetitions you put into the process.
You stop, and the potential for traction dies.
You stop, and so does your personal growth.
Masters can't afford to quit.
Amateurs absolutely can.
It's how they remain amateur.
I've been in this game long enough to experience two things.
Whenever I stopped anything worth doing, I lost.
When I committed to producing and engaging and continually creating, I won.
Consistency, they say, is King. And it really is.
It is crowned King for a good reason.
This is why it's so crucial to prioritise not quitting.
Many things contribute to your ability to stay in the game longer and to continue producing:
The work and topics you choose.
Your ability to allow your style, skill and approach to evolve and breathe.
Your prioritisation of appropriate injections of self-support and rest.
Your ability to turn setbacks into opportunities.
Your mastery of your own psychology.
Stay in the game.
When you do, you will witness the curious thing:
People will drop like flies all around you - people you never thought would quit, but they did.
And you did not.
That's the greatest advantage you can create for yourself.
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Sticking to it has merit. I suggest going deep(er) into the Whys. Why do we believe we want something, or to do something, or to be something, etc... I have never succeeded well, nor any made any money to speak of, or found any joy at doing things that had Red Flags around the core.
This is so true. We are unfortunately always looking for outside validation and it is THAT which triggers self doubt etc. Alex I do believe that you are an exceptional person and your ability to self analyse is a huge asset and credit to your determination.
But those of us who are not yet as highly evolved can learn much from the above.
The final step you wrote about psychology causes me a bit of concern - not many people are able or willing to dig deep to find the reasons for their behaviour. You encapsulated A LOT in that one comment.
I’m pm-ing you to ask about one of your courses btw.
Thank you. Kindest regards. Linda/Melody.