Time Frame.

It is said that hard work and determination are required for success. No one tells you how long that hard work and determination has to be done to be successful. The sooner the better is obviously the best possible answer but what if sooner is still a long time away? Sooner could still be years away. 5 years is going to happen sooner than 10. 10 sooner than 20.

This realization mustn't be discouraging. If you love to do something, then time really shouldn't matter now should it? I realize that everything I'm jotting down, scribbling on piles on Post-It notes, quick typing on word or taking a note on my phone may not bear fruit for years, if ever. I couldn't care. I would like to be a successful author but I'm not going to let some imaginary time frame stall my efforts. I will write, I will improve and hopefully one day it will get me somewhere.

Until then I will hold childish fancies of being the next big thing to come out of nowhere and impress millions of fans and create long lasting characters. I will also work hard every day in an attempt to make that happen. Some of it is going to be bad. Some of it is going to be good. I may even come to hate some of the stuff I come up with and take a hard look at but that's OK too. I will still be doing what I love to do.

You mustn't focus on the immediate future either. That's a pitfall. If you expect some piece of brilliance to fall onto your lap within a short time frame, you just might be putting on too much unneeded pressure to perform and not everyone excels under pressure. You could be putting out garbage with the illusion of grandeur while racing a clock that no one really sees but yourself.

Hard work and determination make are required for success. Once you care not about how soon that happens, the hard work and determination will make bigger strides toward success than worrying about when's, dates or years.