For all of time, there have been those who are “great” and those who are not. In the world we live in today it’s unbelievably easy for myself, and I’m sure so many others, to get lost in comparison. Especially in the comparison of ourselves vs “the greats” we see on social media and feel as though we can not attain that level of “greatness.” Well, it’s time for a perspective shift. Contrary to what you may think, greatness isn’t solely defined by standing out, becoming one of the elites in a field, or being on the forefront of a major breakthrough. While all of that is wonderful, greatness is much different and honestly much simpler than that. It is something we pursue, but never achieve. A journey we embark on yet never reach the destination. Chasing perfection yet only progressing inch by inch. We need to understand what greatness truly is and how we can become one of those labeled “great.”
Let me begin with explaining what greatness is NOT. Greatness isn’t: innate or inherited, stagnation, conformity, selfishness, popularity and fame, finding shortcuts and get-rich-quick schemes, or perfection. I’d argue these words are in fact antonyms of greatness. Now, here is what greatness IS: continuous progress, perseverance, resilience, intentional action, and most importantly an approach to be taken towards EVERY action and task at hand. Greatness is a key aspect of the Forge Mentality.
I want to break down into more detail some of the definitions of greatness. I believe there are 3 key principles within the above that can be applicable to our daily life.
- Continuous Progress - “The pursuit of perfection is inherently the pursuit of progress.” This is something I’m most passionate about and have always found myself drawn to “progress.” Whether it be in bodybuilding, my craft in the workplace, video games, you name it - I get addicted to progress. No matter how big or how small each step is, that’s the art of progress - inch by inch, day by day. Without raising the white flag, we continue, forging ahead on this relentless pursuit, for a never reachable final destination. You’re always learning and refining but never done - that’s the beauty of it!
- Individual Action - It’s always important to have the bigger picture in mind, but there is a reason we break that massive piece of art (the goal, the dream) into smaller pieces. We must view things case by case. What does this mean? That if you miss a meal, you don’t let it derail you for the rest of the day. If you do the wrong thing or “fail” at something, you don’t give up forever and let that word define you as a failure. You’re going to fall, you’re going to mess up, and when you look at it from a micro level, you see that all you must do now is be BETTER. You have the persistence to keep going and the resilience to pick yourself back up and simply try again. Look at every action through this lens.
- Practice - I was never much of a team sports player growing up. I wanted to be in control. If I won, then I won but if I failed, well it was only on me. Because of this, I fell in love with martial arts at an early age. I had an incredible master of the dojang in our town. He taught us many lessons but one this in particular stuck with me - he’d always tell us to not to practice because practice doesn't make perfect but “perfect practice makes perfect.” This was a lesson about intention. You must put intentional effort, intentional time, intentional thought into whatever task is at hand. You also need to reflect often and ask yourself “How hard am I working? Is it to the level necessary? Am I truly focused?”
I want you to change your view on what greatness is. It’s not a destination, it’s an approach. In your parenting, in your relationships, in your craft, in your hobbies, in every area of your life - all require continuous progress, individual action, and our new definition of “practice.” So today, make a conscious decision to walk the path of greatness. It will never get boring and it will always be worth it, I promise.