Last night I started reading An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield. Towards the beginning of the book’s introduction there are two powerful lines:

I wasn’t destined to be an astronaut. I had to turn myself into one.

Hadfield did turn himself into an astronaut and ended up spending time on the International Space Station. But the power in those lines is not in what they say about Hadfield himself. The power comes from the insight they give to everyone else.

We are not marked by destiny. If we want to become something we must work at it.

Change the word astronaut to whatever it is you want to become and the two lines serve as something to motivate you personally. A reminder that only you can create your future. A description of the job you must do. A destination and a path to be taken.

I wasn’t destined to be a(n) [ ___________ ]. I had to turn myself into one.

Fill the blank…

Do you jog in place?

No, I don’t mean while you’re going for a run and are waiting for the pedestrian light to change.

I mean you’re working hard, giving the impression that you’re taking steps towards your goal but you’re not actually moving. Your legs are going up and down but they’re not moving forward.

Running in place tires you out, make you look busy, but it doesn’t get you closer to your goal.

If you’re only working on the urgent you’re jogging in place. You need to work on the important to move forward. Even if they have to be tiny steps make sure you’re moving forward and not just standing still.

The lull is dangerous. Deceptive. It gives a false sense of security.

The lull is a test. It questions you, silently. What should you be doing now? What can you do now? Are you taking steps to improve, to get better, to excel? Or are you sitting on your arse waiting for the next thing to happen rather than making it happen yourself?

The lull is an opportunity to show your commitment. An opportunity to dive in and do the hard work, the work that will get you noticed.

The lull is a trap. Don’t fall in it, exploit it.

You wake, as you did this morning, intent on the work. Intent on the project, intent on it’s progress.

That is good. The work is important.

But the work is not all.

The body you inhabit can not function on work alone. You must care for the body in order to continue the work tomorrow.

It must be fed.

It must be exercised.

It must be rested.

It must be all these things, but, like the work, not too much.

These things have literal meanings – fed, exercised, rested – but also meaning beyond the literal.

Without proper balance you make tomorrow more difficult. You make the work more difficult. The body must be kept in good shape.

You have a responsibility to tomorrow.

You get busy. Urgent stuff you’ve got to do. Fine, it happens. But when it does don’t take your eye off your goals.

Your goals are never urgent. You can get to them any time. Or so you tell yourself. But if you don’t keep chugging away, keep taking those steps, even baby steps, you’ll never get to your goal.

What have you done in the last week to get you to your goal? The last month? The last three months?

Keep your eye on the goal.

Not getting where you want to go? Try harder. No excuses.

Update:
Coincidentally, Seth Godin had something similar to say on his blog today. It comes as no surprise that he frames the point so much better.