Commit to Success: The No-Excuse Guide to Chasing Your Dream

Success doesn’t wait: Commit, Show up, and Put in the work every day

I get this question a lot:

How do you chase a dream when you’ve got kids, a job, deadlines, and real-life responsibilities?

How do you find the time, discipline, and energy when life “duties” weigh you down?

In its full ugly-truth self, here's the answer: No one cares about your excuses, so you either do the work to get what you think it will bring you, or you don’t and accept what you have.

Success doesn’t care that you’re tired.

The dream doesn’t wait for the perfect moment.

That creative fire you’re trying to keep alive will go out if you don’t feed it.

The solution is simple, but it’s not easy.

Commitment Over Convenience

The game doesn’t reward half-measures.

You can’t be an entrepreneur, an artist, or a leader only when it’s convenient.

The people who win in this world commit to the pain of showing up every damn day; That means signing a long-term contract with yourself.

No more dabbling.

No more of the “weekend warrior” bullshit mentality.

You’re either all in or you’re out.

The world respects momentum.

Look at your progress.

If you’re in the same spot this Friday as last Tuesday, that’s a problem. You should be further ahead, somewhere there was time to develop.

You have to keep the ball rolling, no matter what.

Take it from someone who has “restarted” multiple times: The energy required to get the momentum going again is incredible, but once you’re moving and grooving, things will return to normal.

If you don’t stop, you never have to “start over” again.

Go Deep, Stay Locked In

You can’t phone this part of your life in.

To achieve greatness, you must dig deep, find your “why” and accept that there is no shortcut. Becoming great at something should mean that a part of you wants to be doing the dirty work to “get the thing”.

I want to be a great photographer; not good, great.

So when I am taking photos in the cold, unbearable heat, late at night, and editing into the early morning hours, I love that shit.

Eliminating Distractions.

Shut off the phone.

Lock the door.

Put the world on “Do Not Disturb.”

When it’s time to work, WORK.

I have shut down and sold profitable businesses because they became distractions from the next project I wanted to pursue.

Remember, half-focused effort gets half-assed results.

And the mission you’re on?

It demands better.

Success requires all of you, so you must prune your life, and be particular on where you spend your time, because there can only be so many competing priorities.

The Non-Negotiable Rule: One Hour a Day

Here’s the big takeaway and applicable advice: It doesn’t take all day

You’ll progress if you’re locked in for just one focused hour daily.

That’s not a theory.

That’s a fact.

One hour a day, five days a week, fifty weeks a year?

That’s 250 hours.

That’s twelve full workweeks of effort.

And if you think that’s not enough to change your life, you still don’t understand momentum and underestimate the time required to master anything.

This is not a short journey.

“Work is when you have pages at the end of the day that you didn’t have at the beginning.”

- Frederic Raphael

No magic.

No hacks.

Just consistent effort, day after day, until you win.

If you’re waiting for the perfect moment, you’ve already lost.

If you’re willing to show up, work your daily hour, and commit to the long haul, you’ll stand out.

Stop looking for excuses.

Start looking for opportunities.

Your dream is ready

The only question needing to be answered now is: Are you ready to do the work?

- Zac Small