Your FIRST Million Starts Way BEFORE You Make It.
Millionaires don’t become millionaires when they earn their first million. There, I said it.
Most people congratulate others on big achievements at the time of the achievement itself, however the thing that most people don't realize or notice is the many years and the trials and tribulations that went into that success.
This is especially relevant in the business world. This was relevant to any achievement I have had in my 20 year journey within the online world, and relevant to any milestone we have achieved with Wealthy Affiliate.
The effort that nobody sees, is what leads to the actual outcome that everyone sees. But most people from what I have seen, just want the easy part (showing success) and not the tough part (the effort it takes).
That leads me to...
We Want to Be Like Success, Not Hard Work .
You look around for inspiration, and naturally you likely turn to those that already successful. Rarely do you want to be the person that is struggling to get their business going or somewhere in the middle stages. In fact, that is likely someone that you don't aspire to be.
But I can tell you that EVERY single person that is succeeding, earning 7, 8 and 9 figures in the business world are those that were once those struggling person. And before that, they were people aspiring to be successful like others they looked up to.
So when you jump on Instagram and you see people rolling around in their flashy cars, find their private jets, they are giving you a glimpse into the byproduct of their effort over several years sometimes over several decades.
Those exact people at one point were aspiring to be in their exact position, the reality is though that they worked hard enough to make that happen and they persevered when most others may have not have.
I can assure you those people are the hardest workers in the crowd, that kept going even when they didn't feel like it.
That got up in the middle of the night because something in their business needed their urgent attention.
That worked without reward for a period of time, knowing that the reward would come down the road.
Most people want the flashy car, but they are unwilling to do the things that are unglamorous in their business. They things that LEAD directly to that flashy car signal of success.
The Gold Medalist Was Built in the Gym.
If you think in the perspective of an Olympian gold medalist, you are going to get a good idea of what "success" looks like.
They become them through the years that lead up to the sometimes "few second" event. They train and push themselves outside of their comfort zone for 10-15 years for that ONE event where they become medalist. That is EARNED much before the event actually happens though.
Just thinking in terms of a competitive swimmer, they spend hours upon hours waking up early in the morning to get to the pool to swim laps for hours on end in hopes of one day becoming a gold medallist.
There is no reward in this stage, sure there are successes in terms of progress, but the ultimate BIG GOAL has yet to be achieved.
If that swimmer has worked harder than other swimmers training around the world, worked with more vigor and consistency, they are going to likely succeed at a higher rate than them. They may win the gold.
The same goes for business. The good news is that most people quit within the first few months of trying something new so if you are able to persevere and to work hard for a sustained period of time (perhaps a year or two) then you are going to start to see results and you are going to outpace MOST people out there that would be deemed your competition.
Becoming a gold medalist in the business world isn't as hard as people think...it takes a committment that is greater than the broader average. And that isn't a huge commitment by any means.
Not to Your First Million Yet, Dig In!
If you haven't accomplished your first million within the online world, your journey to get there has already started.
I know there are many folks within the Wealthy Affiliate community that have earned over $1 million within the online world. This could be you, and WILL be you if you put for the effort now. The effort when nobody is watching. The effort when it feels like there is no reward.
The rewards WILL come. This is the exact moment when your million(s) will be made.
Become an "overnight" success 5 years from now, from the effort you put forth in the next years. What are you waiting for?
Recent Comments
149
Good morning Kyle,
I hope you're doing well. Thank you for another excellent and very true blog post.
I have seen many successful businessmen who struggled in the early days, in fact, I think they all did! I have a long-term customer who has worked exceptionally hard and still works very hard! He is highly successful, but one thing's for sure, he has certainly worked for it! It's easy to think the grass looks greener on the other side!
It's also very easy to look at people showing off their flashy cars on social networks and to dream about having nice things! But dreaming with no action will not achieve anything! I think we need to be careful about looking at people who show off, it's probably why I don't particularly do social media as such!
I always admire the young people here who have joined Wealthy Affiliate and taken solid action! They have literally turned their life around by taking solid action! I believe the majority of these members knew absolutely nothing about Internet marketing when they first joined the platform! It just proves what is achievable when we put our mind to something and take solid action!
Have a great day.
Roy
I would go out on a limb and say ALL successful businessmen/women struggle in the early days...as struggle goes hand in hand with success and is a REQUIREMENT for success.
I still struggle, though some would deem me as being successful I don't feel that way. Why? Because I have new goals, new levels of achievement, and a lot more people out there that I want to have a positive impact on.
As you scale and grow, you set new goals and then the new struggles to get there will continue.
Action at the end of the day as you say is key. A dream without action, is just a thought. It won't materialize, though it could be the best idea on paper or you have nailed down the formula for success in your head. ;)
Thanks for sharing your thoughts here Roy!
Good morning Kyle,
Thank you for your reply, it's appreciated.
That's an interesting first paragraph, you have written, I do agree with you! I must admit I hadn't quite thought of it like that, however, it is definitely true.
That's interesting that you kind of don't feel successful! I believe that many people here including myself admire your success in a very positive way! I also see your point that you want to grow your business even more, which is great! I guess the main thing is that we are content in every stage of growing a business.
Yes, I can certainly believe that the more you grow the business, the more struggles and challenges will come! I guess that we just have to be overcomers and carry on regardless.
I appreciate your interesting post, Kyle, have a great day.
Roy
I have learned also that achieving your goals and becoming overconfident in what you achieved tends to lead to complacency...which leads to a decline. Which is why I don't try to do it, and why remaining humble at any point is important. ;)
You have a great day as well!
Good morning Kyle,
Thank you for your reply, it's appreciated.
That's interesting, but I understand where you're coming from! I must admit that I hadn't looked at it like that! I guess this can easily happen when we are successful.
It's always good to stay humble, I like your very wise words!
Thank you for doing what you do here, it's a pleasure to be part of a great platform.
Wishing you a great weekend.
Roy
Hi Kyle,
You knocked it out of the park with this post. Your message can apply to almost any field of endeavor. Not just in the online world. You made that clear with your sports analogy.
This result also applies to the corporate world. With one huge exception.
You do not control your destiny alone in corporate America. There are others who decide your fate, no matter how hard you work.
And if you are really good at what you do, there are colleagues who do not want you to succeed and could sabotage your results.
When you are an entrepreneur, especially in the online category, the buck stops with you. There is nobody watching over you and nudging you to complete your tasks, like your boss in the industry, Hence, you have to dig deep and develop the discipline and work habits to push on, even though you don't see immediate results.
Sadly, at least 90% of wannabe entrepreneurs are not willing to do that. It is so hard.
So they try to find a magic bullet thinking that is what the successful people found. When it dawns on them there is no magic bullet, they just give up and accept their status in life.
We are so fortunate that a place like Wealthy Affiliate exists. Being a member here is a real treat.
All the answers are staring us in the face. It is entirely up to us to run with the Program. Members who do will eventually succeed.
Perhaps in a year or two, Or maybe longer, It depends on how much effort we apply.
In my case, I do not have decades to make this work. I just turned 76. Even if it takes just one decade to make my first million, and I am still living, it will be well worth it.
By the way Kyle, in my last 10 years in my engineering job I did make over one million dollars. I was one of those six-figure earners, rare for an engineer. Why I am here trying to make one million dollars again is another story.
I'd like to share a secret. I am writing this response as a message to myself. I need to do more if I want to have the success I seek sooner rather than later.
Thank you Kyle for everything you do to give us this opportunity to turn our lives into GOLD.
Cheers!
Edwin
Edwin, you are such an inspiration to me.
Age matters not.
You are doing the work and turning your life around.
I truly, truly admire you.
Have a great day!
Cassi
Thanks for sharing Edwin, the onus is always on us in terms of anything we achieve in life.
A lot of people tend to steer blame onto others or a situation as to why they haven't achieved what they want to achieve, but the reality is we always need to look inward.
We all want to be successful in our own right, but we don't all want to work for it.
We all want to be healthy and in shape, but we all aren't willing to work for it.
We all want to have solid relationships in life, but we all aren't willing to work for it.
See a trend? That is the reality, mostly everyone wants to achieve success, but few every will in any category simply because they are unwilling to work for it.
You are very welcome, Edwin.
Your determination and action are stellar and courageous
The more that I understand your story and the obstacles that you are overcoming, the more my admiration grows.
The standout difference, as Kyle pointed out, is the fact that you have taken ownership of where you went wrong.
So many of us pass blame instead.
May you continue to enjoy successes.
Cassi
This is a very timely reminder Kyle. Thanks so much, I needed this as I'm in that middle time now and it's really hard to keep going.
Only knowing that I'm following in the footsteps of successful people years ahead of me keeps me going.
I look forward to the day when I can look back and say, "I'm so glad I stuck at it."
Warm Regards,
Lily
Yeah, continue to stick with it...there will be many more trying times, but those are just learning experiences. I embrace any "difficult" times now in business, or in my day to day activities knowing that those are going to be the reason for my future growth.
Thank you very much Kyle. I have experienced this in my life, as I reflect on my previous undertakings. However, if I am allowed to add something; the paths may be different although the principles remain the same!! For some the path is a long one yet for others it is relatively shorter. But once all of you have achieved, no one will mind much about the path. Even in this undertaking, I am determined to achieve. Challenges are there, but I know they are transient. Thank you once again for this post.
Well the path can certainly be shortened through a proper education, and learning from those that have been through the hurdles and overcome them already...along with the support from them. That and the proper tools, and productivity.
That is what we provide you here at Wealthy Affiliate, and that is our intent. To speed up the process for you drastically!
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Hi Kyle, thanks for such an awesome and sobering article that confirms, "we must persevere"! In times past, I was expecting something to happen quickly and when it did not I'd give up and try something else - creating a vicious cycle with no rewards.
This is so encouraging for me, I want to see the hard work pay off so I'll keep pushing forward until I do.
Denise
That is the problem, that is the churn and burn cycle of aspiring entrepreneurs. They join something, they give it a month...then they quit. Then they join then next "shiny object", and the same cycle happens over and over again.
The problem with this is that this won't lead to any level of success, because no one business was given adequate time. ;)
Hi Kyle, you are absolutely right, I see the big picture now!
Thanks