Create Your Overnight Success.

What we often call “overnight success” is a lot of hard work, sleepless nights, roadwork, training, gym reps, swim laps, and relentless pursuit in the dark that just started paying off. Overnight success usually takes ten years or 10,000 hours of deliberate practice in a particular field or endeavour. We get rewarded publicly for what we diligently practiced, mastered and refined in the dark. Success is often not a straight path; it takes a lot of focus, dedication, perseverance, self-discipline, consistency, endurance and patience to achieve anything worthwhile. As coach John Wooden once said: “Success is peace of mind that is the direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”

The road to success is not straight. There is a curve called Failure, a loop called Confusion, speed bumps called Friends, red lights called Enemies, caution lights called Family. You will have flat tires called Jobs, but if you have a spare called Determination, an engine called Perserverance, a driver called Will Power, you will make it to a place called Success.

There is a story about the famous Spanish artist Pablo Picasso that exemplifies the myth of overnight success:

Picasso was walking through the market one day when a woman spotted him. She stopped the artist, pulled out a piece of paper and said, “Mr. Picasso, I am a fan of your work. Could you please do a little drawing for me?”

Picasso smiled and quickly drew a small but beautiful piece of art on the paper. Then, he handed the paper back to her, saying, “That will be 30,000 dollars.”

“But Mr. Picasso,” the woman said. “It only took you thirty seconds to draw this little masterpiece.”

“My good woman,” Picasso said, “It took me thirty years to draw that masterpiece in thirty seconds.”

“80 percent of success is showing up.” – Woody Allen

As rapper and Entrepreneur Shawn “Jay-z” Carter said in his 2024 Grammy’s Dr. Dre Global Impact Award:

Keep showing up until they call you chairman. Until they call you a genius. Until they call you the greatest of all time. – Jay-Z

“Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day; while failure is simply a few errors in judgment, repeated every day. It is the accumulative weight of our disciplines and our judgments that leads us to either fortune or failure. Failure is not a single, cataclysmic event. We do not fail overnight. Failure is the inevitable result of an accumulation of poor thinking and poor choices.” – Jim Rohn

In Shoemaker: The Untold Story of the British Family Firm that Became a Global Brand ¹, Co-Founder of Reebok Joe Foster writes about the long journey they had to take to build a multinational global brand. He writes:

It seems to have worked, though it took thirty-one years to grow from a start-up to the world’s number one sports brand. Perhaps if I had made different decisions it would have arrived sooner, but I know for sure that, without the long and meandering journey, I wouldn’t have been prepared for the destination.

My story, the Reebok story, is not a standard business tale about how I worked hard, hunched over a shoe last for thirty-five years. Nor is it a linear journey along a well-thought-out path, or a tale of how I risked millions and came out smelling of shiny leather. It is a book about motivation and the importance of gripping onto an opportunity when Lady Luck presents it.

Success is always a process. ²

Unfortunately, the story of the overnight success is nothing more than a myth. For every person who strikes it rich, there are thousands of folks who languish in obscurity. The cause of all this is the belief that success is an event. That you can transition from “zero to hero” without a lot of effort. That you can start as a nobody, get discovered by the right person who notices your unique talent, and suddenly skyrocket up the ranks of the rich and famous.

It’s a daily slog where most of your time is spent doing the same thing over and over. Rinse and repeat. Day in and day out. A few wins along the way, and then a few setbacks. Eventually, by working hard, and often for many, many years, you’ll become successful. That’s the reality of success. It’s not luck or an event—just a lot of hard work and daily action.

Overnight success is a myth. Dig into almost every overnight success story and you’ll find about a decade’s worth of hard work and perseverance. Building a substantial body of work takes a long time—a lifetime, really—but thankfully, you don’t need that time all in one big chunk. So forget about decades, forget about years, and forget about months. Focus on days. ³

Meditations

Daily Calm with Tamara Levitt – Criticism

Many of us find criticism difficult to hear, whether or not it is warranted. We often take it to heart, becoming hard on ourselves, defensive, hurt, and even self-deprecating. Our judging mind jumps in with pointed self-criticism, leaving us feeling embarrassed, disappointed, or like we failed. It is important to remember that criticism is often constructive and meant to let us thrive and improve rather than hurt us.

Learning how to listen to it openly and receptively helps us become less defensive and less emotional so that we don’t miss the point of what is being said. All criticism is not constructive, but still listening to it openly allows us to respond from a calm, non-reactive place. To deal with criticism, take a few deep, conscious breaths. We can use the breath to calm us as we try to remain open and not take things personally, even if it feels personal. It can also be supportive to rest the hand somewhere that feels grounding, like our belly or chest.

This simple gesture can help us feel safe and remain open so that we can be open to the words without shutting down or interrupting. If you feel overwhelmed and need time to absorb the criticism, asking for some space and time to reflect is perfectly ok. Creating a bit of distance allows us to acknowledge and hold our feelings with compassion. This space creates a calmer state of mind from which we can process what is being said with less judgment. Noting the valid points and letting go of those that don’t serve us. We can choose which part to disregard and which to use as feedback.

The critic becomes an opportunity for growth and self-improvement. Take criticisms seriously but not personally. If there is truth or merit in a criticism, try to learn from it, otherwise let it roll right off you.

Daily Jay with Jay Shetty – Decide, Don’t Slide.

Newton’s first law states that an object in motion will stay in motion unless something stops or redirects it. The principle also applies to humans. If we are on a path, we generally stay on that path, which is generally not a good thing.

Sliding versus Deciding in Relationships: Associations with Relationship Quality, Commitment, and Infidelity

In a sample of 252 men and women, the results showed that regardless of relationship status (i.e., dating, cohabiting, or married), those who reported more thoughtful decision-making processes also reported more dedication to their partners, higher satisfaction with the relationship, and fewer extra-dyadic involvements.

Major life choices can often seem challenging, and in a way, it can be easier to move where the tide is taking us. But when we move with the flow, we can end up where we never intended, wondering: “How on earth did I get here?” When you come to an intersection, stop and evaluate your direction. You may be tempted to slide right through, but that might not be the best option. Instead, be thoughtful and decide on the course that is truly right for you.

Daily Trip with Jeff Warren – Come to Center

Podcast