All the Best Things in Life Require These Two Things

I want you to think about a specific moment in your life. Not just any moment, but a moment where you ascended to the mountaintop of success. Whether it be winning a sports event or opening a business. Whatever that moment is for you, I want you to remember what it felt like to overcome all the obstacles, all the naysayers, and all the odds to find yourself accomplishing your goal. If you’re like most people, this is a moment that brings you great pride and great joy to reminisce on.

Have you ever dissected those moments and tried to figure out why accomplishing your goals is so satisfying? And have you ever noticed the bigger the goal, the greater the satisfaction is once you see it through to the end? When I look back on my life and think about those moments, I quickly realized that all these moments have two things in common. These two things are the reason accomplishing goals is so satisfying. Those two things are time and repetition.

Wouldn’t it be awesome to master a new skill the first time you tried? I would love to have just one lesson on the guitar and be able to play it like some of my favorite musicians. What are the two things that keep me from being able to play like Keith Urban or Brad Paisley? Time and repetition.

How about sports? I’ve recently picked up golf and understand why people say it is so frustrating. Again, what are the two things keeping me from swinging clubs like a professional? Time and repetition.

How about cooking? My wife and I recently began receiving a meal delivery kit every week. The recipes are all new to me and oh so tasty. How come I couldn’t mastermind such a tasty meal? Time and repetition.

How about our relationships? Relationships are built on the time and repetition that we put into them. I know that the relationship with my wife requires me to spend time with her and to repeatedly show her that I love her even though it isn’t always easy or convenient.

Hopefully, you are beginning to realize that all the things we are good at, all the best things in life, and the reason accomplishing goals is so satisfying is because of the time and repetition we put into them. I’m a decent tennis player and martial artist only because of the time and repetition that I have committed to learning those as I was growing up. I was an excellent student only because of the time (attendance in school) and repetition (studying the same things over and over again) that I put into my studies.

Did you know that our health is the same way? I wish we could go to the gym once and look like Arnold Schwarzenegger or eat one good meal and drop ten pounds. I also wish I didn’t have to brush my teeth every single day to keep healthy teeth. Unfortunately, acquiring and maintaining good health also requires time and repetition. I talk to so many people every day that wish they could just do one thing one time and it would fix their health concern. That’s just not the case, but there is good news. When we do finally decide to commit time and repetition to our health and we begin to see progress and achieve goals, it is one of the most satisfying feelings in the world.

Don’t wait another day. Make today the day you begin putting time and repetition into your health so that one day you can play in the floor with your grandchildren and/or travel the world.