Work Place Success Part 36 - "No Matter What You Do Be Prepared To Make Sacrifices"

The pleasure always comes last but the pain, the pain always comes first.

Ask yourself, ‘What am I prepared to sacrifice, to protect my job and take my career further forwards?’ (Note to self, never sacrifice one’s safety, hygiene or morality). Remember, the pleasures you give up for work are your 'sacrifice'.

Believe me, very little can be achieved in this world without sacrificing something pleasurable.  Olympic athletes make considerable sacrifices to achieve ambitions.  Instead of laying in bed most mornings they make the decisions to take long runs, eat healthily and train hard.   This is synonymous with long term progression and success.   The pain which many experience, is always upfront with the benefits being obtained upon completion. Oddly, no matter how you go about it, you can never obtain success by doing it the other way around.

To be a success in your organisation, you have to do more than your competitors. This means sacrificing television and the many creature comforts indulged in when at home.  It might even mean less time with your family.

Inevitably, this brings a number of serious conflicts along the way with the now fashionable term 'Work Life Balance'.   Sadly, the harsh reality that is life, tells us that those who make sacrifices, and work harder than the rest, will triumph over those who relapse into comfort zones and put in fewer hours.

No matter how much you try you cannot progress in your organisation on a mere 37.5-hours a week.  The trick then, as mentioned in my very first blog, is to 'Love What You Do and Do What You Love' to the point that you are prepared to make sacrifices and forgo a number of other indulgences, in favour of dedicating extra hours to working harder at the things you love doing. 

Many years ago, I used to work in the construction sector as a trainee Civil Engineer, I then moved into Architecture; this career path started in my late teens and progressed through to my early twenties.  I loved it, I was passionate about it and I was prepared to undertake the arduous task of working long hours in all weathers, hunted the answers from experts, checked and double checked everything I did, to ensure I didn't make mistakes.  I would then stand back at the end of the project and admire the immense architectural beauty that we, had created.

When it comes to those key moments in our lives regarding the selection of personnel to promote or assign a task to, the inclination will always be to select a candidate who has made sacrifices in order to be where they are. I call it 'Putting yourself out for the company' and it is the reverse of the '9 til 5' clock-watching brigade, who are known to  their superiors within a week or two ... and first impressions tend to stick.

In my professional opinion, it doesn't matter whether you are an ambitious 18-year-old student or a 50 year old executive who has just been made redundant, you will need to face the harsh reality; at some point, that sacrifices need to be made in the pursuit of your long term goals.  It might mean that your financial earnings are a little less to begin with, or you're putting in many hours of study, or living away from the ones you love for a period of time.  Nothing in this life is obtained easily, and the world really doesn't meet anybody halfway.  People who believe otherwise, are simply kidding themselves or possibly deluded.

If you want to be successful, you've got to be prepared to make sacrifices... Pure and simple.  With the above in mind, below, are several conclusions, hints and tips.   Take them on-board and adopt them wisely.

In Conclusion

• Don't bother watching vast amounts of television, it will do you little good. Instead, sacrifice the viewing time and spend more time doing things that will help you achieve your goals.
• Be prepared to be lonely, as you travel towards your goals.  Know and understand that these moments of loneliness will only be temporary.
• Do not make a large salary your highest priority.  There might be more noble objectives and opportunities presented to you if you seek them out, and these are far more rewarding.
• If you happen to find a job that you love doing for less money ... I strongly urge you to take it.   You are then more likely to excel and prove your true worth.
• Always think twice before choosing the easiest and most comfortable option:

  Do and Dare “The person who gets the farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The ‘sure-thing’ boat, never gets far from shore.”
  Quote by Dale Carnegie.

• This may seem odd advice, but, where possible try to double your failure rate!  Failure provides much experience and opportunities to learn.  Don't see failure as the enemy, instead, embrace it.  Failures are experience in the making.
• Desire is the key to motivation.  Unless you want something badly enough, you will never achieve it or feel that you deserve it. 
• Excellence is required as standard.  You have to give 100% constantly, in order to beat your competitors and stand out from the crowd.
• Remember that in order to achieve success, you must ponder success.  Analyse it, visualise it and know in your heart that you can obtain it with a sense of undeniable belief.
• Finally you need determination and commitment.  No matter what happens, do not allow others to distract you or steer you away from your goals.  If you want it ... take it. 

To Your Growth, Success and Contribution
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Mark Jones is a passionate Learning & Development professional, blogger, consultant, systems trainer, educator and accelerated learning specialist.  If you would like to learn more about the services offered by Mark Jones Training Ltd, please call +44 (0) 7711 928883 or email: [email protected]