Sacrifice or Be Sacrificed

Why we don't get what we want

Why we don't get what we want

Think about the last time you really wanted something, whether it was a personal goal like running a marathon, a professional achievement like starting your own business, or even something as simple as changing your lifestyle for better health.

What do you need to sacrifice to get it?

In my case - now in my mid-50's and losing muscle mass (due to this hideous ageing thing) faster than a teenager's patience in a wifi outage - it means getting up and going to the gym every day. Even when the frost and ice wrap around the house and car like an impenetrable ice palace... when the comfort of my cosy warm bed rings louder than the clanging of cold iron on iron.

Sacrifice isn't about losing; it's about choosing. Choosing what's important over what's urgent, choosing long-term fulfillment over short-term gratification.

Pushing weights is hard. Pushing weights first thing in the morning sucks. Losing the ability to move the damn sofa because of my age, is far worse. My choices are a declaration of war against the constraints of time and the silent thief of vitality that age represents. About reclaiming my autonomy over my own body, and refusing to let the years dictate what I can and cannot do. Choices that pit the immediate allure of comfort against the profound, enduring reward of strength and independence...!

Er, herm... 

Anyway, where was I...? Yes, so when it comes to getting others to help you on this journey (business owners), it’s about getting them to value what’s important over what’s urgent.

You need to be really clear about this for yourself first (see above) and then communicate it to them every single day (maybe not in such a dramatic way).

Our dreams, goals, and aspirations, left on the altar of hesitation and comfort, become the what-ifs and might-have-been of our lives. This realisation isn't meant to dismay. It's a reminder that the pain of discipline weighs ounces, but the pain of regret weighs tons—as will that sofa!

On those days when the sacrifice seems too great, remember that it only matters when it means something, but that 'something' is always yours to define, fight for, and ultimately achieve.

In the meantime, have a great week, learn heaps, love loads, and then pass it on.