It’s not just the climb.

It’s not just the climb.

It’s the grind.

It’s the getting up while other people are sleeping.

It’s the checking your blog 100 times a day and realizing there’s not a single comment. And then writing again tomorrow. And the day after that.

It’s the walking by your TV and not letting it suck you in to find out who got the rose.

It’s the ignoring what you’d like to do because what you’d love to do needs your time.

It’s sucker punching Monday morning and starting your day before fear has a chance to find you.

It’s the swallowing your pride and playing the concert to nobody but the waitress.

It’s the filling out all the annoying paperwork it takes to turn your dream into a business.

It’s the 12,000 tweets.

It’s the asking people for help even though you’d like to pretend you’re too strong to need it.

It’s the realization that the scale isn’t your boss, it’s a tool. And if you didn’t hit your weight goal today, you’ll get back on the bike, back on the run, back on the steps, and hit it tomorrow.

It’s losing the client, losing the job, losing the opportunity, and realizing you didn’t lose your identity.

It’s getting back up.

It’s the 4 AM alarm clock to catch a shuttle to the airport.

It’s the measuring your success against your own actions, not the accomplishments of others.

It’s the remembering that hard work still beats 100% of the shortcuts everyone else thinks social media offers.

It’s the being willing to fail.

And fail.

And fail.

And fail.

And get better. Slower than you’d like. In increments smaller than you’d like, but better is better.

It’s the not being ashamed of your success or apologizing for the wins, but having the courage to celebrate them without stumbling into the land of arrogance.

It’s starting all over again every time the sun does.

Is it just the climb?

No. If you want to change your life and the world, it’s the grind.

Keep grinding.