What do you think about my “art skills” in the picture above?
Curious as to why I drew a stick figure at the beach?
Don’t worry, I’ll reveal it by the end of this article.
For now, let’s discuss what’s really important…
Can Anyone Help You?
I see it all the time – people waiting for a miracle to bring them the results they want.
They spend hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on books, seminars, and coaching.
These same people never apply what they learn.
Wait!…What?!
Spend money and time but never take advantage of what you know?
Doesn’t quite make sense, does it?
But what does and doesn’t make sense is irrelevant; what matters is reality.
…And the reality is that people continue to waste a TON of time and money waiting for a miracle.
A miracle that will bring them success overnight.
I was watching a YouTube video the other night where a life coach explained how people would email him saying they read his book or watched his courses but weren’t having any luck.
It was surprising to hear because he knows just how valuable his products are.
Curious as to why they weren’t having any “luck”, he asked them all the same question:
“Have you even started your website?”
Can you guess what the majority of them replied?
“Umm no, but the thing is…”
And that’s the problem!
People have the tools and knowledge they need but don’t do the MOST important thing:
They don’t take action!
“Oh, what I learned was good but it still won’t bring me the results I want, easily and quickly. Something better will be released soon.”
Look, man…
You want the truth?…I’ll give it to you.
Every single person online worked VERY hard to create whatever they’re selling you.
They sacrificed in all areas of life in order to put together what you’re buying.
I’ve said many times before – there are no short-cuts to anything worth having
…And if there was, no one would tell you about it.
However, convenience and quick results is what sells.
Marketers know this and use it to their advantage to push their products.
Now, I’m not saying their products won’t help you…
Yeah, some products floating around the internet are worthless.
But there are many that offer value.
Do your research and shop wisely.
Why Only You Can Save Yourself
What’s the one thing that no book, product, or coach can do (not show) for you?…
The actual work!
Man, I can sit here and give you every single thing I know about blogging, marketing, and writing great content, but if you don’t apply it, then what’s the point?
…”Well maybe I don’t take action because I don’t feel like I’m ready or know enough, I need to learn more, I need to buy more things”.
My friend, you’re going to waste a lot of precious time and money with that mindset.
You have to apply as you learn, not wait until you feel you know everything.
Write that last sentence down somewhere where you’ll see it often.
…”Oh Alex, but your writing is really good and I don’t write like you, I need to learn more because if I start writing now, it would be pointless.”
Oh, I write good?
Yeah, and?…
What do I have that you don’t?
…”Well maybe it’s just a talent you have. Everyone is born with talents”.
Yeah, maybe…
But if I were you, I wouldn’t bet money that I was born with the talent of writing.
What I would bet on is that I’ve gotten really good because not ONE single day goes by where I don’t write a minimum of 3000 words.
Most of the time I’m writing for my next article (I publish a minimum of once per week) but sometimes I write just for practice.
Sometimes I have a million things to say, others I just write what comes to mind.
One day, I literally wrote the following:
“I have no idea what to write about today but I’m just writing because I know doing it every single day will make me great…”
Interestingly enough, a couple hours later, I had put together an entire article.
Whatever you want to do or get better at, you have to actually do it.
Sure, reading books, attending seminars, or meeting with a coach will help you.
But tell me honestly, can you get good at surfing by reading a book about it?
Stephen King writes 2,000 words every single day.
Every day!
Now, it’s obvious he does NOT need the practice.
The guy has over 50 best sellers!
However, I guarantee he was nowhere as good as he is today when he first started writing.
Do you do that?
Do you practice whatever you want to get better at, daily?
…”Oh I don’t have time.”
You’re right, you don’t have time, you have an excuse, and you need to get rid of it.
Ever since I learned that about Stephen King, I began doing the same, except that I write 3,000 words daily instead of 2,000.
For me to skip a day of writing, something unavoidable would have to stop me.
Keyword: unavoidable
Want another example but in a different field?
Kobe Bryant, my all-time favorite basketball player, went through a stage where he would make (not take) 2,000 shots daily!
Not 100, not 500, not 1000…2,000!
I can only imagine how many shots he took in total to make all 2,000.
Kobe then went on and scored 81 points in a single game!
He earned second place for most points scored by a player in a single game in NBA History.
I grew up playing basketball and I remember a challenge I attempted once where I wanted to see how many shots out of 100 I could make from the free throw line.
And guess what?…
I didn’t even make it to 50 shots!
Not because it was hard (although my arm did begin burning a little), but because I got bored.
So when I read that fact about Kobe, and remembered my challenge, it was evident why the guy is a success.
Kobe Bryant = Discipline
“Oh but he was born talented”…
Yeah, maybe…
Or maybe he just puts in the time and work!
By the way, I HIGHLY recommend you watch his documentary on YouTube.
It dives deep into his life and shows exactly why he’s one of the greatest.
He talks about knowing that if he wanted to be the best, he would have to sacrifice and spend a lot of time away from his family.
It’s easily one of the BEST documentaries I’ve ever seen.
Check it out below…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yc9VSSOLzHY
You see?
If he was born talented, would he have had to sacrifice as much as he did?
Kobe knew that only he could help himself, so he did what was necessary.
The result?
Born talented or just a hard worker?…You decide.
Take a look at one of my very first articles:
It isn’t a bad article, but if I were to sit down and rewrite it today, I GUARANTEE it would be 10x better!
Am I going to update it?
NO.
I wouldn’t dare, no matter how good or bad it is.
Inertia Will Hurt Ya’s goal is to prove that practice and taking action is what makes you great.
When I first started this blog, it took me FOREVER to put an article together.
Now, the words just come to me.
Therefore, I wasn’t born a good writer…I became one.
…And I still have a long way to go before I become GREAT.
But trust me when I tell you this… I will be great.
Word after word, sentence after sentence, article after article; this blog is EXPLODING in growth.
But I’ve sacrificed and set time apart daily just like Stephen King and Kobe Bryant.
The question is…Will you?
Do The Thing
The moral of the story?
If you want to get good at something, just do the thing.
You want to write better?
Write daily!
You want be smarter?
Read daily!
You want to be better as basketball?
Make 2,000 shots daily like Kobe Bryant.
You want the secret to success?
OK, no problem, I’ll give it to you:
Take action and practice your craft every single day!
There’s nothing that will bring you success quicker than taking action.
NOTHING!
Anyone who tells you different is lying.
Below is a picture I came up with in my mind.
I tend to write my ideas on paper or in my phone, but sometimes I’ll open the paint program on my laptop and draw (That’s actually something I’ve never told anyone before).
The other night, I was letting my ideas flow onto the screen.
This was the final result…
It’s an analogy to illustrate how when it comes to success, only YOU can help you.
You can sit around and wait, but you’ll always be alone when visiting Success Beach.
And if you want to survive, you better “move” and help yourself because no one is coming.
Just do the thing and everything else will fall into place.
We’ll talk again soon,
-Alex
P.S. – Thinking of starting your own blog/website? Check out my book Mr. Website Builder.
Alex (Administrator) says
Excellent comment, Tara. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
-Alex
The Rational Rebel says
I like the idea of drawing your thoughts. I often do that as well… there’s something about visualizing things that does wonders for my brain.
You make such an important point about waiting to “be ready.” What is “ready”? How exactly does “ready” look? The truth is, you’re never ready. You just have to launch your product/business/service. And when you’ve done that, you’re never done. Because there’s always room to grow and improve.
I find that reading can be a dangerous for of procrastination if not used wisely.
Great stuff, as always.
Cheers
Tara
http://therationalrebel.com
Jacob Schulz says
Another great one, Alex! I remember reading the Millionaire Fastlane and how MJ mentioned that those large seminars are scams. Essentially, people put their life savings into those to get hyped up, then people never take action. Exactly what you said about marketers pushing the “easy method”.
I do however believe that everyone is talented in their own way. Figure out what area you’re inclined in, but practice and refine your craft just as you said. A similar story of Kobe makes me think of Michael Jordan. He wasn’t all that great growing up, but he put in the effort to be one of the best basketball players ever! Also, digging what you said about “applying as you learn”. Could not be more true, my friend.
Alex (Administrator) says
Great comment, Jacob! Thanks a lot for including those great examples!
Yes, large seminars are scams, I’m glad you pointed that out. It’s a great example of how people will spend a ton of money for the “easy method”. Michael Jordan didn’t make his high school basketball team the first year he tried out… What did he do? He went and worked very HARD and became the world’s greatest basketball player. Safe to say he wasn’t born great, he became it! That’s what I want everyone who reads this to understand; as long as you take action and practice, you will get better! You don’t have to be great, just apply what you learn and keep getting better. The more you practice, the faster you become great.
…And oh yeah, be patient and never give up.
-Alex