Sacrifice Some?

"Nothing worthwhile is gained without sacrifice." ~ Martin Luther King

Yesterday I posted a video about 'sacrifice'. It got me to thinking more about words that motivate and inspire. If we all took a 5 minutes to write a list of inspiring word that (personally) define success, we could probably come up with at least 5 - and my guess would be that most of the words would be the same. But, I'd bet the word sacrifice would be missing on most lists.

Why?

You may disagree, but I think we're all addicts (by nature). We're not taught about sacrifice. We're taught to work hard and get what we want. And honestly, it's tough giving up something we've grown accustom to or feel deserving of. We're all guilty of saying

"I worked hard today, so I deserve this drink." or "It's been a long day and I'm just going to sit here and watch TV for a few."

Don't get me wrong, we ALL need some veg time (and deserve it). But I ask you- How often do you make excuses and find yourself partaking in activities keeping one step further from your goals?

There has to be a balance.

Sacrifice isn't just about denying ourselves of pleasures to reach financial or career goals, but also personal. If you're a business owner, your goal may be to spend more time with family and friends (one of my personal goals). If you're an introvert and want to get out more, your goal may be to meet new people. If you’re that businessperson, your sacrifice may be to shave an hour off your business day to connect with friends by sending them a note or giving them a call. You might consider attending one less networking event and fill that time by cooking dinner for friends. For the introvert, you may decide to sacrifice an evening of watching your fave TV shows to venture out to a new bistro or join a meet-up and get active.

Sacrifice is about giving something up, that might save us time, money or sanity - taking us one step closer to our goals. These goals can be large or small, long-term or short-term. We all have different goals, but they should have a few things in common. • You have defined it as a goal • Your goal should be measurable • Understand the steps needed to reach your goal (If you don’t know, ask or research) • Know that you will need to sacrifice (something) to reach your goal

Read: Increase Your Desire To Succeed - "Anticipate rewards. Be aware of the sacrifices and the hardships involved in becoming a winner, but focus on the rewards of success. Knowing what rewards you can earn stimulates your desire and makes you work harder for them." ~ Paul J. Meyer

If you’re making excuses about not having a relationship, enough time, money, resources or ideas - Stop.

Define your goal, make a list and be prepared to sacrifice.