Philosophy Friday: To Achieve Great Things Fall In Love With This

“It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.”
– Seneca, Roman Statesman & Philosopher

My kids play video games. I can see the attraction—I used to playing myself. The feedback loop is so short. As a player, one receives feedback on decisions within minutes or even seconds. And the outcome is good—you get further in the game—or bad—you lose health points or die. The resulting endorphin rush is predictable and addictive.

Of course, real life is messier, more uncertain regarding our actions. It may take months or years of consistent, regular effort to see results. Albert Einstein, perceived by many to be the embodiment of a modern genius, said that it wasn’t that he was so smart, but that he was able to stick with problems for longer—sometimes decades. He had ‘Sitzfleisch’, a German expression he would have known, which translates to ‘sit flesh’, indicating a powerful backside able to tolerate much sitting. Einstein laboured for years on relativity, quantum physics and atomic theory. It’s no exaggeration to say that without Einstein’s contributions, we would not have our modern world.

“Persistence is the most powerful force on earth;
it can move mountains.”
– Albert Einstein, Physicist.

Ambitious plans require us to persist for months and years before seeing any results. The lag time can be immense. But so can the payoff. Becoming a writer, losing weight, building a career and other desirables—take consistent, daily effort. I believe it was legendary Kung-Fu fighter Bruce Lee who said that the best fighters he knows fall in love with the boredom of daily practice. That’s what we must do to achieve great things. On any big personal project, motivation will ultimately let you down. You’ll need more than inspiration on a day when you don’t feel like it. Falling in love with the boredom of daily practice and habitual progress is the force that will take you to great things.