The Grind And Then Luck

The unglamorous part of success is the everyday grind. The small habits which keep moving the ball forward incrementally takes a great deal of commitment, motivation and energy. It’s the lesser part of the story, though it is the foundation of the entire process of success.

I like this natural law. Keep focused and work hard in specific areas while making good use of failure and luck comes your way. It favors the prepared.

I like keeping the big goal clear and in front. It is what gets me through the grind. The scale of accomplishment is important. Having clarity about what I am trying to build helps me to focus and keep pushing through the adversity.

Here is what I find requires the daily grind and also have seen how it leads to luck:

• Growing an audience. Getting, keeping and nurturing attention is the challenge of the new economy. Bringing value every day with ideas, strategies and execution means a commitment to growth. Working hard every day towards winning new fans and helping them never ends.
• Making customers happy. Working hard on our systems and processes to create stellar experiences is a grind. It is continual refinement tested in real life situations. Studying customers and understanding people as well as caring enough to go above and beyond opens up great opportunities. It does start with caring.
• Maintaining energy. I’m only as good as my health and knowledge. I try to work out every day to increase my own stamina. I read to get new perspectives. I look for inspiration from people that are fully alive. The alternative of atrophying is too painful, otherwise.
• Innovating. There’s always something new to discover, test and implement. The new economy is obsolescing so many different jobs. I see it every day. Staying way ahead in thought leadership and practice means always tinkering, experimenting and pushing the limits.

It’s hard to break habits, even good ones. Imagine if you are able to establish the habits which helps you to grow in value and position you for opportunity. The market will find you. The pieces have to be put together and you have to be ready, of course. That is the reward of someone who perseveres and sees the connection between the daily grind and luck.

What can change for you?