Ordinary hard work

Achievement often appears easy in hindsight, and from the outside looking in. Yet significant achievement is not easy, and is not without considerable problems and frustrations.

It can be discouraging to look at the already-completed achievements of others, and to compare them with the challenges you now face. Keep in mind, though, that even when you can't see the challenges that led to an achievement, they were most certainly there.

Working through difficult challenges is, in fact, what creates achievement. Just because it looks easy doesn't mean it is.

Most of the work of achievement is done when no one is paying attention. Those who achieve, do the work even though it is difficult, demanding, tedious and far from glamorous.

More often than not, even the most impressive results come from plenty of plain old, ordinary hard work. It's not extraordinary talent that distinguishes achievers, but rather an extraordinary level of commitment to getting the work done.

And that's great news, because that same level of commitment is always within your reach. Choose to persist in doing the necessary work, and the achievement you seek is yours.

-- Ralph Marston

Copyright (c) 2012 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. From The Daily Motivator at http://greatday.com where you will find an archive of more than 4,500 positive messages plus books, CDs, motivational videos and more. Permission is given to post online only if this entire notice is included.