[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]Since the dawn of time I’ve heard people say, “If you just work hard & give 110% every day, you will be successful.”
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I used to believe this, but when I actually thought about it, it’s pretty discouraging. What if you feel like 50% one day? Are you doomed? Did all hope for ever achieving great things go down the drain?
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Let’s face it. The reality is we will never be able to give 110% every single day because, we’re human (gasp) & there are going to be days when we don’t have the strength to give it our all & feel less than equipped to face the mountain in front of us.
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But I don’t believe that means you will never be successful in life. The problem with believing the only way to get success is if you’re perfect and on top of things every single day, is when we realize that’s not humanely possible, then we start to question our potential, purpose and even our worth.
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Putting the pressure of being 110% all the time creates people who feel inadequate & like they’ll never measure up because there will always be more to do, more to achieve & for pete’s sake, we all know we have bad days.
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That’s why I think we should stop measuring our success by our amount of effort.
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This statement says success is the result you’ll get if you just work harder & do more. It sounds nice, but how many times have you worked hard & still not achieved your goal?
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I worked 110% to become Miss America and in terms of the results of that competition, I wasn’t “successful”. Does that mean I’m of any less value or won’t be successful in life?
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Giving it 110% doesn’t guarantee success & days when you are feeling more like 75% doesn’t mean you’re a failure.
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What’s helped me is realizing that ultimately, it’s not my work, or lack of work that determines my success in life. For me, success is constantly growing, always learning & looking more like Jesus.
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If He choses to bless me with “worldly” success, then great, but my efforts and work are in response to His goodness and for His glory, not so that I can make it further up the ladder in life.
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I’m comforted knowing that whether I give 110% or 50%, I still have value & have purpose because it’s not my work that defines me.
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If you feel less than 100% don’t beat yourself up. God isn’t going to keep you from reaching your dreams because of the human weakness we’re all immune to.
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When you lift that burden off your shoulders, life suddenly seems a little bit brighter & less intimidating.
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Nobody who was ever “successful”, made it there by being perfect. They made it there by making mistakes, falling on their face & continuing to climb even if their legs gave out.
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You’re amazing and there are good things in store so don’t give up!!
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xx Nicole #DoStuff
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“and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” -Hebrews 12:1
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Amen! And the good news is that my worth and identity are not found in my effort or my success, but only in the person and work of Jesus. When God looks at me, he doesn’t see all of my failures to live up to His standard, He sees Christ’s accomplishment of that standard. I am defined by what He has done. Wow! And now I get to give effort, strive, and work because I don’t have to find my identity in those things, but because I already have all that I need in Him. I love Hebrews 12:2 as well as 12:1 like you mentioned “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” He is the founder and perfecter of my faith. If it were up to me, I would not have started or continued my faith. Jesus does it and I can rest in that. Thanks for the post and the encouragement!
YES!! This is so good. Thank you for sharing!