Most of us have heard the quote attributed to Aristotle: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
Or Roman philosopher Seneca: “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
And more recently, movie producer Samuel Goldwyn opined: “The harder I work, the luckier I get.”
Folks, I’m not telling you anything that both you and I don’t already know.
I’m writing this for me because at times of late, particularly as I enter my later years, I find myself impatient for results, wanting to hurry the process.
While I never was one to let grass grow under my feet and if you ask me when I want it done, my favorite answer is yesterday; at the same time, I know you can undermine progress by interrupting it, you can disrupt natural growth cycles by excessive pressure. Scott Peck in the ‘Road Less Traveled’ gave four tools of discipline and I’ve always thought the last one, ‘Balance’, was the most challenging.
Closing Quotes:
“The secret of your future is buried in your daily routine.” – Mike Murdock, b.1946
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier, 1885-1950
“Small disciplines repeated with consistency everyday lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.” – John C. Maxwell, b. 1947
“Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals.” – Jim Rohn, 1930-2009
“Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are subtracted from your good ones.” – Benjamin Franklin, 1706-1790
As always, I share what I most want and need to learn. – Nathan S. Collier