Tag Archives: achievements

The universe does not offer financing

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“The universe does not offer financing.”

—Shane Parrish, Author of the Farnum Street Blog

Image from Unsplash by NASA

Today’s quote and post are taken directly from Shane’s blog post from Sunday 12/14/25. I hope it provokes your thinking about life as it did me:

“The universe does not offer financing. This is hard to accept because life trains us to expect the opposite. We are addicted to “buy now pay later.” You live in a house before you pay off the mortgage. Your get the degree before you pay off the loan. You eat the meal before you ask for the check.

We are conditioned to enjoy the benefits today and pay the cost tomorrow.

Achievement reverses the transaction. It requires full payment in advance (and regular payments forever). If you want a fit body, a calm mind, a healthy relationship, or financial independence, the cost is non-negotiable. You must do the work before you get the results.

This is why most people quit. They pay little, see nothing, and stop. They never make it far enough to see the first return arrive.”

EXERCISE:

Consider joining over one million readers by exploring more of Shane Parrish’s work. The tag line for this resource is “Think better, decided better, live better.”

If we do not plant knowledge when young it will give us no shade when we are old

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“If we do not plant knowledge when young it will give us no shade when we are old.”

—Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, 16th Century British statesman

Image from Unsplash by BBC Creative

Early childhood education plays a crucial role in shaping a child’s future success.

Here is evidence of its supporting role on cognitive, social, and emotional development:

  • It helps children develop foundational skills in reading, math, self-control, and positive relationships.
  • It improves societal outcomes such as high school graduation rates, years of education completed, earnings, and long-term impacts on life achievement.

EXERCISE:

Who are the little ones in your life and in your communities?

How are you playing a role in assuring that they get all the support possible to benefit them well into adulthood?

 

Without reflection, we go blindly on our way

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“Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.”

—Margaret Wheatley, American writer, speaker, and management consultant

Image from Unsplash by Medienstürmer

When it comes to learning and personal growth, many of us often miss the important step of self-reflection.

Although many of us consider ourselves good listeners and open minded, we all tend to react instead of responding to the input we receive over the course of the day.

We’re just too busy springing into action based on our previous conditioning to consider the value of pausing to re-evaluate our default approaches to getting things done.

EXERCISE:

Where in your personal or professional communities would greater reflection open your eyes and guide your efforts to achieving even more useful results in your life?

“We often work harder in our dreams than in our life.”

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“We often work harder in our dreams than in our life.”

—Mark Nepo, poet, teacher, and storyteller

Image from Unsplash by Hans Reniers

Although I don’t usually remember my dreams beyond the first minute or two after waking, I often find myself day-dreaming throughout the day.

When I watch others doing great things on TV or in my personal and professional communities, I often project myself into their efforts.

This form of wishful thinking and level of achievement is purely a mental exercise, and rarely if ever shows up in actual performance.

EXERCISE:

Where do you work harder in your dreams than in your life?

Where in your world is it time to give it your all and break a sweat?

“You’re Astonishing! How dare you waste it!”

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“You’re Astonishing! How dare you waste it!”

—Seth Godin, American author and former dot com business executive

Image from Unsplash by Colton Sturgeon

Today’s quote made me smile and frown at the same time—I love being happily surprised and astonished by amazing people, places, and things.

Seeing what is possible become realized inspires me to continue my own pursuit of excellence.

What have you done or achieved in your life which astonished yourself and others?

How far back do you need to go to recall these memories?

What have you done more recently that raises eyebrows and has more than a few jaws drop?

EXERCISE:

Who do you know that astonishes you?

When did you last tell them about your thoughts and feelings?

How much of your potential for excellence and greatness is still in the tank?

You never conquer a mountain

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“You never conquer a mountain. You stand on the summit a few moments. Then the wind blows your footprints away.”

—Arlene Blum, American mountaineer, writer, and environmental health scientist

Image from Unsplash by Charlotte Karlsen

What personal and professional mountains have you climbed? How did you feel standing on their summits? How long did you remain at the top before returning to base camp? How long did you retain the sense of accomplishment before the inevitable let down from these peak experiences?

Over the past two years, I’ve noticed many people — including myself — experiencing a loss of excitement and vitality in their days. We seem to be climbing fewer mountains and many are seeing their paths blocked by various obstacles. The winds of change can often be in our faces and have blown many of our former footprints away.

EXERCISE:

Where is it time to strap on your boots to make some new footprints on the future mountains you seek to climb?

How will you fully embrace the journey and standing on the summit as you set forth on your next expedition?

Friday Review: Achievements

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FRIDAY REVIEW: ACHIEVEMENTS

How do you define “achievement”? Here are a few Achievement-related posts you may have missed.

 

“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is the little extra.”

 

 

 

 

“Teamwork is the ability to direct individual accomplishment toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”

 

 

 

 

“Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.”

 

 

 

“To better the future, we must disturb the present.”

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“To better the future, we must disturb the present.”

—Catherine Booth, 19th Century co-founder of The Salvation Army

Image from Unsplash by Ronnie Overgoor

What comes to mind when you think about goal setting and the achievement of your personal or professional objectives?

What has been your track record in meeting or exceeding your desired intentions?

For many, the course taken is often the path of the New Year’s Resolution — most of which are slowed down or completely stopped by mid-February.

A common reason for giving up may simply be that we believe we must always go big and have tectonic shifts in our reality if we are to realize our dreams of a better future.

Many pioneers in the world of human achievement and behavior suggest it is better to go small.

Books such as Tiny Habits and Atomic Habits point to the power and sustainability of even the smallest of actions taken on a routine basis, producing big, long-term results.

EXERCISE:

How can and will you make small but subtly disruptive changes in your life to help you realize the better future you desire?

“Find a need. Define a service. Be the bridge.”

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“Find a need. Define a service. Be the bridge.”

—Seth Godin’s Impresario

What are your personal or professional areas of excellence and high achievement? Which of these activities stir the passions in which you often lose track of time, expressing your gifts and mastery?

Where also do you find the expression of these capabilities serving the needs and desires of others in some meaningful and value-producing way?

Jim Collins — author of Good to Great — might describe this scenario as a personal hedgehog. It points us toward an expression of ourselves that could be more fully developed and expanded to contribute to the world.

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can and will you be an impresario to find a need, define a service, and be the bridge to bring it to the world?

“There are no ‘pretty good’ alligator wrestlers.”

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“There are no ‘pretty good’ alligator wrestlers.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Matthew Essman

It’s unlikely that there is a Junior Alligator Wrestling League in your community or school system.

What parent would send their child off to such an activity, hoping they would rise in the ranks, and bring home the Champion Trophy – not to mention all their appendages?

Our world is hyper-competitive and sports include a significant risk of injury. Still, many families with an interest in fitness and athletic activities participate, knowing full well that their children are unlikely to make it to the Olympics or turn pro at some point.

Meanwhile, in the working world more and more people are finding that being only “pretty good” puts them at risk of being eaten by the alligators swimming in their vocational waters.

EXERCISE:

What efforts can and will you include in your “pretty great” developmental journey in the year ahead?