So Here’s The Thing: Overnight Success Is A Myth

Overnight success is a myth – there’s nothing overnight about it. Those you think of as overnight successes have been around for longer than you realize – it’s just that they’ve been working diligently out of the spotlight.

Overnight successes are the culmination of years of dedication, discipline, and failure.

It’s going to an audition and having the people in charge tell you no, and yet, you still go back to the next call again. It’s sending out a manuscript to never have it returned, a pitch that goes unanswered, and still staying strong in your pursuit of writing. It’s applying to the job of your dreams, getting that, “thanks but no thanks” email, and taking the time to apply again. And again. And again, and again, and again. It’s taking the MCAT’S or LSAT’S until you get the score you need. It’s long hours of studying for exams. It’s budgeting time. It’s budgeting finances. It’s learning how to balance saying yes and saying no.

Dedication is a daily practice.

It’s hard. It’s rewarding. It’s disappointing. It’s invigorating. It’s a choice, day in, and day out, to keep trying.

Discipline is not cultivated overnight.

It’s showing up for your own dreams when the world seems like it’s telling you to give up. It’s keeping your own vision in the forefront of your brain, even when others around you cannot see it. It’s reminding yourself of what you’re capable of, even when the world doubts your skills, and it’s a daily practice of it’s turning that doubt into determination.

Fail forward, and then you’ll move forward.

I don’t know anyone who’s not afraid of failure, but I do know plenty of people who do not let their fear of failure take precedence over their goals, their dreams, and their ambition. When you give yourself the permission to fail forward, you are allowing for the space in which you are able to learn from your mistakes to grow. And when we grow, we learn, and when we learn, we live to our fullest potential.

Success is interwoven with dedication, discipline, and the courage to fail forward. There’s nothing overnight about it.