Greatness is a lot of small things done well

Steph Smith, on what it takes to become great. Emphasis mine:

“I realized that it was not the sporadic highs that were exceptional, but instead the long hauls; the sequences of events that seemed minimal at each juncture, but compounded into major gains. This led me to think further about what greatness truly means. I’ve come to learn that it’s not about overnight successes or flashes of excellence, but periods of repeatable habits.”

I cannot agree more. As I said before about weightlifting, “Effort, and nothing else, decides success. More than diet, macronutrients, workout gear, or even your training routine, the most impactful thing you can do is workout every single day, as hard as possible, for as long as possible. Before worrying about anything else, worry about doing that; that is the single most effective way to reach your goals.”

Do not try to explain away others’ successes, or try to excuse your own failures, by calling them anything other than the results of long, hard work — or a lack thereof. Anything else would be a lie, to yourself and anyone else to which you justify your actions.

This post’s title comes from Ray Lewis. I love that line, and I encourage you to take it to heart. I did many years ago, and it has served me well.