“First Comes Sweat Then Comes Beauty.” New York City Ballet Brochure

“Easy reading is damned hard writing.” Nathaniel Hawthorne

Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire did 150 takes of a famous movie scene in which they are dancing while skating together on ice. That’s right, 150 takes! Sometimes they practiced their routines so hard and so many times that Ginger’s feet were bleeding. But all you ever saw was the two of them dancing divinely. In one legendary number, Ginger literally floats across the stage in a feathery dress she designed herself.

Wonderful! All this by way of reminding us that any creative endeavor—whether dancing, painting, photography, or writing—takes work.

And time and sweat and practice.

Sometimes, we forget this. We want the beauty without the sweat, the results without the struggle. But as a wise person once said, “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”

Can we have a winning mindset as we sweat and struggle? Of course we can! We have total control over our attitude and effort. If we bring a can-do attitude and consistent, deliberate effort to our work, then we can accomplish anything—the sky’s the limit!

Attitude + Effort=Result.

What a simple, yet powerful recipe for success!

So, let’s not shy away from the sweat and the struggle. Let’s embrace it!

As my wonderful friend and mentor Dr. Rob Gilbert* says on his fantastic Success Hotline, there’s nothing more satisfying than struggling with something difficult that you really care about. How true!

So let’s remember what Ginger and ballet dancers know: First Comes Sweat Then Comes Beauty. And then, let’s all write on!

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* Check out Dr. Gilbert’s Success Hotline Podcast or call 973.743.4690.