Who originally said this is lost in myth, some say Zig Ziggler, the noted motivational speaker, but the message is clear whoever was responsible. Success means something different to each of us, but achieving that success takes a lot of hard work. It doesn’t matter whether you are learning guitar, seeking to be a professional athlete or securing a major contract for your business, none of these things happen by chance.

In every scenario, when someone succeeds, it is due to the work they put in beforehand. When you see a brilliant guitar player, you are watching the end result. You don’t see the hours and hours of daily practice, the commitment, sore fingers and everything else that got them to that point. Likewise any professional athlete, the dedication to train every day, to avoid distractions and maintain focus, often for years before they see the results.

Even in business, signing a major contract is usually the culmination of months and even years of work, building trust with the client, creating the right proposal and so on. Whatever you want to achieve, you need to work at it.

If you don’t put in the work, then don’t be surprised when things don’t turn out as you wanted. It is no one else’s fault, and you need to take responsibility. Never take anything for granted, always put the work in, and you can enjoy the results that follow.