There are no shortcuts to any place worth going: This is a quote from the renowned Opera singer Beverly Sills, and it follows a theme of many high achievers in reminding us that it is the hard work along the way is what prepares us for the success we achieve. Without that challenge, the strife and work to get to the destination, can we ever appreciate it? Would we even know we got there? That is the heart of what she is saying here.

Achieving a goal, whatever it may be, is not just a moment in time, it is something to experience and appreciate. As you work towards that goal, every hardship, every setback is not just a lesson learned, it is a reminder of the value and importance of that final destination. For Beverly Sills, that meant years in singing contests, then traveling the country singing at small venues before she got a chance on the big stage.

But what if she had a connection and went straight to those big shows? Would she have savored and valued it so much? Would she even have the skills to deliver the performances she eventually did, without that learning curve? Probably not, and that is the essence of this quote.

A shortcut gets you somewhere faster, but it doesn’t take you to your actual goal. Instead, it leaves you in a place where you are not ready to be, or simply cannot appreciate enough to make it worthwhile.