The Real Reason You Aren’t the Best

Let me start off by saying that the intention of this article is not to make anyone feel bad about their goals or where they are in life. It is, however, a truthful wake-up call that we all need sometimes.

I think a good rule in life is to work like you plan to be the best at whatever it is you are doing. And even if you end up not being the best at that thing, chances are you'll get pretty damn close. However, I feel more often than not, the appearance of being the best at something is a lot different than the reality of it. Sometimes, we simply suck at doing what it takes to get where we want to be.

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That being said, within this article I am going to discuss some reasons why you may just suck. I am also going to state openly that I am not the best, and sometimes I suck too. The first step to not sucking is to accept that you suck and that you need to get your shit together. So let’s get our shit together, together. Shall we? Here we go.

You make excuses for your mediocrity.

“I couldn’t get my training in today because _________.”

“I stopped at Wendy’s last night because ________.”

“I didn’t get enough sleep last night because __________.”

The list goes on. Here's the thing: No one becomes great at anything by accident. You don’t accidentally become an IFBB Pro. You don’t accidentally hit a world record lift. You don’t accidentally become the best.

How do people become the best at what they do? They just shut up, keep their head down, and do it. They don’t make excuses. They don’t miss training days. They don’t stop at Wendy’s because they forgot to pack their meals. They remember to pack their meals, usually three days before they need them. They get enough sleep, because not getting enough sleep isn’t an option for their goals. They suck it up and put the pedal to the medal.

So that being said, why aren’t you? Are you making excuses? If you are, simply put, you need to stop.

You are about as consistent as gas prices in the United States.

Consistency is a key factor to success in nearly everything. If you want to change your body composition, gain strength, gain muscle, etc., you have to provide your body with a stimulus, CONSISTENTLY over time. Without a consistent stimulus, you are giving your body zero reasons to adapt accordingly. You don’t get jacked by going to the gym once. You have to go over, and over, and over, for years, and years, and years. You don’t get stronger by hitting one PR. You hit PRs over and over again, slowly but surely.

Adaptation is made from a consistent stimulus over the course of time. Adaption to a progressive stimulus is what creates change. Without providing your body with a consistent stimulus, you might as well buy a house at Shitsville, because that’s where you will live.

You need to stop thinking to yourself, "But I followed my program perfectly this week! What the heck happened?” To use myself as an example, in order to see any progress at all, I need to follow my plan perfectly for at least eight weeks. At least. If I followed my plan for a week, then fell off the wagon for a few days, got back on, the fell off again, then got back on, I absolutely cannot expect the results I am looking for. But this habit is so common and people get pissed off and start blaming their coach, their boss, their training partners, etc. Be completely honest with yourself. Are you still living in Shitsville?

You don’t think it should be “that hard.”

Wait, so being the best at something is supposed to be easy? Well, thanks for illuminating me on that little nugget of false reality. Of course it is “that hard,” If it wasn’t, everyone would be walking around with six packs, gold medals, and money trees. We really have to be honest with ourselves here. Being the best at anything means being on the extreme side of the population. Being the best places you on the other side of the bell curve. You’re not chillin' in the middle with everyone else.

Therefore, to get to the other side, it is understandable to think that it may take extreme measures. You should expect it to be “that hard.” It actually becomes a whole lot easier if you accept the reality that being the best requires the best from you, and nothing short of that. Don’t use your genetics, resources, or circumstances to mold yourself into the victim here. The fact that your goals may be more of struggle for you to achieve than they would be for someone else actually puts you at an advantage. Last time I checked, the most inspiring leaders of our world didn’t get to where they are due to their natural abilities. They accepted “hard” as a challenge and embraced it with open arms. Are your goals really “that hard,” or are you just too lazy to push the envelope?

You compare yourself to others.

Not only do you compare your progress to someone else, but you also compare it to their timeline, their circumstances, their resources, their genetics, etc. The best don’t spend time comparing their success to someone else’s, simply because it doesn’t matter. Someone else’s success doesn’t diminish your own success in any way. There is plenty of room on this earth to be awesome together. You can look to others’ success for motivation, but the minute you feel yourself becoming envious or jealous, you are wasting your time. Compare you to you everyday. What everyone else is doing and where they are has no bearing on you. Do you feel defeated by others’ success?

Stop making excuses. Be consistent. Accept that it’s not easy. Embrace the success of others. Start taking accountability for your future. You currently may not be where you want to be, but you can be once you stop sucking.