1600: [Part 2] The Biggest Mistake People Make in their Careers (and lives) by Benjamin Hardy

[00:00:00] This is Optimal Work Daily. The Biggest Mistake People Make in their Careers and Lives, Part 2 by Benjamin Hardy of BenjaminHardy.com. The Benefits of Delayed Gratification Holiday differs in one more way than most people in his space. He was offered a book contract for the book that would eventually become The Obstacle is the Way several years before he wrote the book. Of course, he was ecstatic. He told his mentor, best-selling author Robert Green, about it.

[00:00:29] Holiday recalls that conversation. Quote, Robert was as happy for me as everyone else, but he told me he didn't think I should do it. Not because it wasn't a good deal, but because I wasn't ready. You're 22 years old, he reminded me. Are you sure you can speak from a place of real understanding about the subject matter? He asked. He told me that every day I was experiencing new things, that I was widening my understanding and authority on the topic by living and improving as a writer.

[00:00:57] The book would be better the longer I waited was his nice way of saying it wouldn't be any good if it came out now. He advised me to pass. End quote. Unlike so many others, Holiday delayed gratification. He further explains that over the next few years, he'd learn things and have experiences allowing him to become the person that could right The Obstacle is the Way. Could he have written a great book at age 22? Probably. Would it have been a classic? Probably not.

[00:01:24] The question is, do you really believe you could create a classic? Or do you believe you can create something truly impactful? Rather than just starting a business, do you believe you can create something truly important? Do you really believe in yourself? This may sound like a trite question, but it's serious. Of course you believe you could create something. But I'm talking about something real. Something of enduring quality. Something truly great. Do you believe you could do that?

[00:01:51] Or would you rather create something quick and inferior, but that gives you a false sense of achievement? Said Tony Robbins, life gives you exactly what you ask of it. No more and no less. You get in life what you're willing to tolerate. It's all about your personal standards. Most people get less in life than their potential because they have low standards for themselves and those around them. The greatest reward for delayed gratification is who you become. It's not necessarily about the work you do.

[00:02:19] More, it's that you became someone who could do work at that level. Your work is a reflection of you. Who you become determines the quality of your work. The quality of your work influences the lives of other people. You'll know when it's the right time. An obvious objection or question that you should be having right now is, what if I wait too long? Waiting to act and delaying gratification are two completely different things. Perfectionism is not delaying gratification.

[00:02:48] Perfectionism is a disease that leads to procrastination and waiting. The time to act becomes painfully obvious, not only based on intrinsic feelings, but also based on external demand. It's not enough to feel ready. There must be clear evidence that you are ready. That can only occur by experience in the real world and not merely in your head. 80% of life is showing up. In the book, The E-Myth Revisited, Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It,

[00:03:17] Michael Gerber explains that the natural thing for a new business to do is grow. Most people wonder if they will get any traction for their concept. This fear is legitimate, but besides the point. If you start a business and work at it, it will grow. Most businesses fail when things start growing. They get too excited by future prospects and don't consider the technical and organizational stuff to support the growth. Of this, author and strategist Greg McKeown has said,

[00:03:45] Why don't successful people and organizations automatically become very successful? Success is a catalyst for failure. You must balance, one, your plans for the future, with, two, doing and improving the actual work, in other words, your products, and, three, keeping things well managed. If you keep these three things balanced, your chances of success during growth are substantially higher, Gerber explains. Conclusion

[00:04:13] If you're willing to wait an extra year or two, the quality of your impact as well as the quality of your life could dramatically improve. You must first know what you want. Until you do, you'll be swayed by the first offer you get. You must also know why you are doing what you're doing. Until you do, you'll be more concerned about looking good than actually doing something of lasting and significant value. Expect that when you go into business, it is going to grow.

[00:04:38] When it does, don't get distracted by all the once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that come your way. Stay the course. When needed, delay the gratification for something good in order to create something truly great. You'll never regret that extra six months or year or few years you were investing in yourself. When the harvest comes in, you'll look back with a satisfaction most people could never imagine. You just listened to part two of the post titled,

[00:05:07] The Biggest Mistake People Make in Their Careers and Lives, by Benjamin Hardy of BenjaminHardy.com. And thank you again to Benjamin. Now, as I mentioned yesterday, he's an organizational psychologist and was the number one writer on Medium, where he shares a ton of articles covering personal development, willpower, and more. Those types of articles are also regularly featured on the podcast Optimal Living Daily. So if you like Benjamin's style but want to hear his take on some different topics like building habits,

[00:05:36] motivation, willpower, and more, check out that show. Again, that's Optimal Living Daily, and you can find it wherever you get your podcasts. And do make sure to hit that subscribe button as well. All right, that should do it for the Sunday episode. Hope you enjoyed it and hope you had a great weekend. And I will see you back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.