The Uncompromising Goal

There have been times in people’s lives where they had to go all in to accomplish a goal. Not accomplishing the goal was unacceptable to them. If they didn’t succeed the first time, they would have tried over and over until they succeeded. At a certain point in their quest, many times unknown to them, they removed the boundaries which stood in their way to success. Naturally they became attractive to the thing they sought, and success was achieved. While there was hard work, it was a natural byproduct of their intention. 

I was not and still am not naturally book smart. I have to read things multiple times. I need to dissect them to truly understand what is being said. Little details can get lost if I don’t use constant refreshers. Leading up to and in medical school, I understood the importance of having high board exam scores. Getting a low score was unacceptable. 

When I look back, it’s not the hard work or long hours that led to my success. It was the removal of everything in my life that did not support my quest to achieve my goal. Once all the distractions were removed, all that was left was the matter at hand and I could completely immerse myself in the pursuit.  In some ways it was the sacrifice of everything that was not important to me and of many things I wanted, but I found I could live without. The hard work and long hours were a natural byproduct of having an uncompromising goal.