So I'm going to share a life lesson with you, something that over the years has been a true game changer.

Ready? It's simple. It's very simple. Like most things, it's easy to understand. It's easy to comprehend. It's the implementation. That's the challenge, right?

But it's the idea that progress is not always a visible step forward.

Growth is not always a measurable inch or mile, you know, to feel good about it, to celebrate.

It's not always a tangible victory or pat on the back. It's a smile about it.

Sometimes it's sidestepping. Sometimes it's stepping backwards, reminding ourselves to look up and gain perspective.

Because we are always inclined to look at the immediate.

That's what feels good.

And this lesson says, no, there's a big picture to keep in mind.

It reels us in. The big picture

is what gives us purpose. It drives our happiness. That thing we want on the top of the hill.

The North Star, the X on the map, that's what's sustainable. And I say it's been a game changer

for me because, you know, one of my biggest adversaries over the years has been that voice in my head,

almost pleading with me to indulge in the thing that will bring that immediate result.

It's money now, growth now, validation, now.

There's comfort there. Our minds want that satisfaction.

That's why you see all those guys standing next to whiteboards saying they have the

formula to make you rich tomorrow. We want tomorrow. We believe in some capacity that that can be real

tomorrow. But that's what tends to lead us astray. And so I've spent a lot of time reflecting over

the years on how to incentivize those steps that aren't immediately impactful.

There's not the flashy metal you're going to get right now,

but I know that if I do it, it's going to bring me to my long-term goal.

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