Apply Yourself

Be tenacious. Do the hard things. Apply yourself.

“If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all.”

— Michelangelo Buonarroti

The thing about success is that no matter what venture you're trying to succeed in, no matter how seemingly 'easy' it is, trust me, it is hard work. You can't stand out while you're being lethargic, nonchalant and just aloof with projects that you want to succeed in. See why not everyone succeeds, yeah? Not everyone likes hard work.

One thing that has really helped me, and a lot of other people I know who have gone ahead and have made something of themselves is that they apply themselves. Applying yourself is facing the hard work, keeping at it until you achieve reasonable success. It is when you keep pressing at that set goal until you get your desired result.

Will you fail even when you feel like you've put in your best? Yes! Should it stop you from applying yourself again and putting in better efforts than you did the last time you failed? Hell no!

The more you apply yourself to your work, aim for a higher hoop than what you thought was the highest you can go, the more your elasticity expands and then you realize that you don't even have a cap. Yes. This is not the usual mumble jumble, but I promise, the only limitation you have is the one you place on yourself.

If you keep setting a limit and not applying yourself or stretching yourself, that limit will keep you at mediocrity, and 10 years, 20 years will pass and you'll realize that you've lived such an average, mundane life when you could have been spectacular.

At some point in my life, I made a decision that turned my life around, I decided that anything I do, any job, any chore, any work whatsoever I find myself doing, I'll make sure I apply myself and do it the best I can. If I fail, then it means what I thought was my best wasn't my best. I go again. I promised I won't shy away from the hard work, I will apply myself, I'll be consistent with failing until I succeed. I'll keep sending emails, keep editing and keep learning. I'll do the hard things.

Fred Swaniker, founder of the ALX software engineering group always say that we have been put here on earth to do the hard things. We are capable of doing them. It's doing the hard things that gives us the ability to transform our generation.

Thing is, even when you apply yourself, you will fail. Many times too. So what? I read something profound somewhere that success is 99% failure. All you need is that 1% time when you get it right. That 1% translates to success.

Apply yourself. Decide to do your very best every time, everywhere, with everything and everybody. In your career, in your projects, your business, your relationship, your own personal development. Ensure you're being impeccable. Do your very best, and you will save yourself from what could have been.

Yes. If you live life, doing the best you can at every moment, at the end, you would never have the regret a lot of people have towards the end of life. Regrets like, "I could have been —," "Only if I had —."

As you progress into this week, and on to the rest of your life, you've been given another opportunity to be impeccable. Apply yourself in everything that you lay your hands on. Decide that if you won't apply yourself, if you won't try your very best at something, you'd rather not start it in the first place.

Have a splendid week!

To your growth,

Abiola Okunsanya,

Handzinspired.