139 - Make the Work the Goal

The law of rhythm reveals that life’s cycles—whether good or bad—are part of a natural, repeating flow. With this perspective, we can find comfort in the lows, knowing they’ll rise, and prepare in the highs, knowing they’ll shift. It’s a tool for staying steady, patient, and focused through every phase.

Think it was easier when you were younger? Yeah, maybe. But here’s the shift: it’s never going to be easier than it is right now. Whether you’re 20, 51, or somewhere in between, today is your best shot to make a move. In this episode, I dig into a perspective that hit me recently and has kept me motivated—whatever it is you’re aiming for, don’t wait around. Start building those habits, set the foundation, and don’t let the moment slip. It’s only getting tougher from here, so jump on it.

I've been thinking about big goals. They often take a long time and you can work day in and day out, but it takes time to see results. It can be discouraging. Say you want to lose 20 lbs, you may not start seeing results for weeks.   One way to stay on track is to make the work the goal. Deep down, we usually know what we need to do to get there. Instead of focusing on the end goal, it might be helpful to focus on the daily work instead. You can become the person that does the work necessary today—doing that will get you to the person you want to be.

It can easy to get overwhelmed with the details of a situation and find ourselves a bit stuck. Sometimes we have a very narrow view when focusing on specifics that we fail to see the big picture. One of the lessons I've learned from Jocko Willink is to take a minute to detach from the details and take a wider view. This will often reveal things that you weren't seeing and help you find a way forward.

Jocko Willink has this thing where he says "good" when presented with any issue. It's about finding the good in every situation. It can seem nearly impossible at times, especially when the situation is really bad. However, it's often possible to find some kind of positive outcome in most things. At the very least, you can find growth in adversity. I find that when I'm extra stressed out, taking a minute to be grateful for the adversity really takes the edge off.

It may sound negative to think about things being temporary, but I find it makes me appreciate things much more. If our pets, loved ones, belongings, our lives were not temporary, it would be easy to be complacent. Let's get the most out of the time we have.   You can also check out this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/O5LC97BZNwU

In the age of social media and endless highlight reels we have access to, it's easy to think, "I wish I had that" or "I wish I could do that," etc. From a lecture by Jim Rohn, he asked a very powerful question, "Why not you?"   Think about it. Why can't you have those things? Why can't you do those things? If someone else was able to achieve it, you might be able to as well. You have the capacity to drastically change your life if you're willing to put in the effort.

This episode dives into the concept of doing the work for its own sake, drawing inspiration from Steven Pressfield's The War of Art. It emphasizes the importance of showing up every day and committing fully to the task at hand, regardless of the outcome. Whether it's sweeping floors, building a business, or pursuing personal growth, the focus is on consistent effort and mindfulness. By detaching from results, one can stay grounded, avoid burnout, and eventually reach meaningful achievements—sometimes even beyond the original goals. It’s about putting in the work, day in and day out, and embracing the journey.

I got the guy's name wrong in the video, it's Jim Rohn. I saw a clip of his video that talked about resolve defined as keeping the promise to yourself to never quit. It got me thinking about a bunch of different things along these lines.

Running a graffiti supply business, I frequently get asked for free products in exchange for exposure. The problem? 99.9% of the time, the person asking hasn’t put in the work to make the exchange mutually beneficial. They haven’t built a following substantial enough to make a real impact.   The lesson here is clear: opportunities like this exist, but they require effort before the deal makes sense. There are no free rides in this world, and those unwilling to put in the work upfront will miss out on the opportunities available to those who do.   You can also watch this episode on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@busmsk