The Truth About Building Success That Lasts

Small actions make a big difference—especially when it comes to success.

Extraordinary results come from ordinary, boring things done consistently. Look at anyone who’s made it big, and you’ll see that when others glorified big leaps of faith, they worked in silence instead and put in the reps because once-in-a-lifetime, lottery-like opportunities weren’t important to them; getting better every day was. Think of someone who inspires you, and this is the pattern you’ll see—success that’s built on deliberate effort and choice rather than chance. That’s the success formula out in plain sight, but the world keeps searching for it with a blindfold on.

Here's how you can remove yours, one paradigm at a time.

Consistent Action Beats Talent.

It’s the only thing that creates meaningful results.

Talent might give you the skill, but only practice will give you the confidence to make something worthwhile out of it. Pablo Picasso, one of the world’s most revered artists, is the perfect example. Once, a woman approached him and asked for a portrait. He agreed, took a few minutes, and produced a beautiful, almost life-like, portrait of her. She was beyond impressed and asked, “How much would you charge for this, sir?”

“5000 francs,” Picasso said nonchalantly.

She was shocked, “It only took you ten minutes,” she protested, “How can you charge so much?”

Picasso responded, “No, madam, it took me a lifetime.”

His inherent talent might have made him the top student in an art class at age 5, but his practice of a lifetime made him a legend who changed the world of art forever.

True success is like a marathon where talent just gives you a five-minute head start. But if your body is not in shape and the last time you exercised was a month ago, the racers with the strongest muscles and highest stamina will overtake you and win. It’s just a matter of time.

Consistent action is the only thing that builds those strong muscles.

But What Things Should You Do Consistently?

Simple.

Do what matters.

As Coach Vince Lombardi said, “Perfect practice makes perfect.” I’ve emphasized the first word because it’s the most important one. What you practice matters just as much, if not more than the act of practicing itself. If Picasso had practiced singing, he would have become a very good singer, not a legendary artist. The problem is that there are millions of Picassos in the world right now practicing singing but hoping to become that legendary artist.

More of the same just leads to more of the same. Multiplying 2 by 2 will always give you 4, never 6. It’s the same with everything you do in life. Practicing the unimportant things only makes you better at doing things that don’t matter. Get clear on your goal and ask yourself, “What skills, ideas, and actions will lead me closer to that goal?” That’s what you need to practice—the stuff that brings in results.

It's not rocket science, just simple math. But most of the world doesn’t believe that.

This Is Where the 99% Get Stuck:

There’s no easy way to say this, but we’ve glorified success too much. In our minds, success represents the brightest star that sparkles beautifully in the night sky. It’s a pipe dream, a fantasy that puts our imagination to work. It’s all we’ve ever wanted, but like any other star, it feels as if it’s on the other end of the universe; somewhere only the big rockets (AKA the lucky ones) can go.

That’s why we don’t accept the truth. After all, how can simple math take you to the other side of the universe?

You don’t need to go to the other side.?You just need to work relentlessly. The one percent aren’t busy building rockets because they know that success isn’t that shiny star, it’s the boring process they grind through every day.

Successful actors aren’t made on red carpets. They’re made on the days when they’ve said the same line 500 times but will say it again to make sure the right emotions come through.

Successful scientists aren’t made on the night of the Nobel Prize ceremony. They’re made in the long years spent researching and banging their head against countless dead-ends.

Successful entrepreneurs aren’t made when that $200 million check hits the bank. They are made in the thousands of rejections, failures, and setbacks they rise through every day.

Stop thinking of success as an event because the spotlight will fade away faster than you realize.

That’s why, it’s important to…

Pursue Excellence, not Fantasy:

Excellent effort creates exceptional work.

Exceptional work stands out among the crowd.

What stands out gets noticed and becomes successful.

That’s the connecting dot between Pablo Picasso, Coco Chanel, Abraham Lincoln, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs, and thousands of others who’ve left an indelible mark on the world. They all pursued excellence. They did something exceptional. They didn’t spend their days fantasizing about a distant star. No, they embraced the process and focused on doing great work.

What does excellence look like for you? Stay with that question for a bit. What is great work for you? How can you do it every day?

These are hard questions but they lead you to work that matters. They set the direction for your efforts and set you up for success.

2400 years ago, Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

Walking the red carpet is the act. Saying the same dialogue 501 times is the habit. That’s where excellence comes from—and has come from throughout human history.

Now, it’s your turn.