Elevators Don't Always Work

Everybody wants to be successful. 

We all have different visions of what success looks like for us.

We all have access to information that can guide our steps to achieve our visions of success.

Ideally, we all can achieve success repeatedly during our journey through life. 

Unfortunately, a lot of people want to skip steps.

They want to start at the top instead of working their way up.

They want to begin at the end instead of walking the path.

Sometimes, that’s possible.

And sometimes it’s just not going to happen like that. 

But here’s what often gets missed when you don’t respect the process… the step-by-step work doesn’t just move you forward.

It prepares you for where you’re going.

It builds understanding.

It establishes discipline.

It strengthens judgment.

It develops capacity.

Skipping to the end can definitely feel good, but it doesn’t always build what staying there or getting there again requires.

This idea shows up everywhere.

• In health, people want results without routines.
• In education, people want credentials without comprehension.
• In skills, people want mastery without practice.
• In finances, people want lottery wins instead of disciplined growth.

That doesn’t mean the fast path never happens. It does.

Sometimes the elevator door opens.

Sometimes progress is accelerated.

Sometimes an “X factor” changes the timeline.

But making shortcuts the expectation is bad business. 

Building and following a predictable process builds capability.

Fixation on the outcome instead of focusing on the required steps to get to the destination can build frustration.

The healthiest approach isn’t choosing one over the other.

It’s respecting the process while staying open to opportunity.

 When you skip step too often, you skip the preparation needed to spot opportunities, and you miss the lessons needed to sustain success. 

Doing the work prepares you for the weight of success.

What steps are hoping to skip, and could that be holding you back?