The Dream Is Free, The Hustle Is Sold Separately

Chelsea Rowe Chelsea Rowe, Coaching, Employee Coaching, HR, HR (& Life!) Advice

I could lie to you and tell you to reach for the stars to get you through hump day. But that’s not how we do things in FOT Nation. We take our coffee black and our lattes with an extra shot of truth. Here’s a little something extra to kick your morning into high gear:

You’re not the best in your game. You’re far from the smartest, the fastest, the wittiest, the most charming, and you’re not that well read. You may be good, but you ain’t all that. You’re not a beautiful or unique snowflake.

You think the best in your game woke up like this? No. They didn’t. Do you think everyone has some divinely inspired passion guiding their professional life ? No.

Did that reality check sting a little?  Fact is there will always be someone who is smarter, faster, wittier, more charming, and more well read than you. But that doesn’t mean that the rest of the world is whacked from the jump. The reality is that natural ability isn’t what separates the real game players. And the movers and shakers of the world know that—sure, they dream—but they also do something about those dreams and the gaps separating them from the best in the game.

The movers and shakers are well aware of that and do two things to compensate for that reality:

  1. Outwork Their Peers. It’s the effort. It’s the grittiness. It’s the ability to work harder for longer to get the job done. The best in the game get up early and stay late. At the end of the day, their heads hit the pillow hard. And they feel damn good knowing they didn’t leave anything on the table.
  2. Stay Curious. Work at lightspeed but never ask questions and or try to figure out ways to do things better? That’s a recipe for burn-out.  Work at lightspeed and maintain a curiosity and focus around how to improve and learn more, and you’ll excel sustainably and consistently.

Players play, ballers ball. That’s how the magic happens—that’s the hustle. Any fool can tape a motivational print-out to their cubicle. But if you’re serious about moving up, it’s going to require some real work. Get after it. You want to be better? Work harder and stay curious. It’s not for everyone.