The results you achieve will be in direct proportion to the effort you apply. ~ Denis Waitley

I’m sure it’s pretty well know that effort and results go hand in hand.  That particular concept isn’t really rocket science, at least I hope it isn’t.  Much like with karma, you get back what you put out there.

I’d like to think that I always put forth my best effort, but if I’m going to be 100% honest, I don’t.  I started this post three times already today and each time I erased what I wrote because it was going nowhere.   I tried rationalize my inability to write today because I am exhausted.  I got back home from my trip at about 11:45 last night, and that was after two nights of sleeping fairly poorly, and working pretty hard.  Like I said, I tried to rationalize it, but I can’t.  Why?  Because I wasn’t putting forth my best effort.

Nope, I was sitting there with my laptop on my lap, the television on, and my phone in my hand as I “thought” about what I wanted to write.  That wasn’t thinking, that was me playing Candy Crush. In that particular instance, my efforts and results went hand in hand, but not in a way I wanted them too.  Think about something you’ve done where you know that you put everything into it that you possibly could.  How did it go.  I’m betting that your end result was spectacular.  Now think about something that you’ve kind of half-assed.  Much like me trying to write this post the first three times.  How did that turn out?  It may have turned out okay, but did it turn out as good as it possibly could have?  Only you can answer that question.

I want to say that I’m going to put forth my best effort every time. I know that my efforts and results go hand in hand.  However, I also know that I’m human, and I probably won’t be as successful as I would like every time.  But I’m going to try.  I’m going to try and work harder and do better, because I know that my outcomes depend on me, and your outcomes depend on  you.  I think if we all put real effort into things, together we can move mountains and make change. And if you don’t want to move mountains, that’s okay.  Start with yourself.