Have you heard phrases like this?
- You have unlimited potential!
- You can make a difference!
- You can do something amazing!
- Go change the world!
- You are the Joshua, Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Gideon, Jabez, Jesus Generation!
We like big ideas like that. They feel romantic. They sound inspiring. They awaken the dream.
Can I summarize those big ideas for you? Can I make it clear? Truth be told?
It’s flippin’ hard work.
Launching your ideas is easy…following through with them (and doing what you said you’d do) is hard.
I’m going to be honest with you.
When I launched this blog, it sucked. It didn’t just suck for a couple months, it sucked for a couple years. Yea, I said years (insert Dave, hanging his head in shame).
Plan beyond your launch
The reason was because I didn’t have a plan following my launch.
Launching the blog was easy. Following through was the hard part.
This year I decided to become better at following through. And my blog has more than quadrupled in traffic because of it. I wanted to offer some tips on how I did it.
What it takes to follow through:
- Passion
- Learning
- Hustle
If you’re having a hard time following through, it may be because you’ve neglected one of these vital aspects.
Passion
With whatever it is you do, you need a passion. Otherwise, you won’t follow through. You’ll start and end before you realize it. Passion sustains dreams.
Your passion has to do with why you’re on this planet. It has to do with what kind of difference you want to make.
If you’re doing something simply because you feel you should or because others are, it won’t last. It’s too much work to be carried on the shoulders of should. You need a burning passion.
But passion isn’t enough.
Learning
You have to be willing to learn. You need a humility that says, “I don’t know it all. I need to keep learning, growing, developing, becoming.”
Following through requires that you view your life through a lens of learning. Every experience is an opportunity for growth.
If there’s anything I’ve noticed about successful people it’s that they’re curious – they have an insatiable hunger to learn. Living your dream requires you to do the same.
Hustle
I love how Jon Acuff uses the word hustle. Following through takes sacrifice because the truth is, life settles in. Activities pile up. Your family needs you. Work gets busier.
If you want to go beyond launching and truly follow-through, you need to hustle. Whether that’s getting up early, staying up late, or changing your schedule, hustle without pushing away those closest to you. Do the hard work.
Hustle starts with a decision – you must to attack your dream. God isn’t going to fulfill it for you. Don’t misunderstand me. It doesn’t all depend on us. God is working. God is moving. But as the cliche says, “work like it depends on you, pray like it depends on God.”
Well, does it depend on God or us, you may ask? The answer is Yes.
Go and do your dream.
Question: Is there a dream you’ve started chasing that needs some follow through? Share it with us in the comments.
For further reading:
- Check out Kyle Reed’s new project at kylereed.tv. He’s doing a good job of following through.
- Stephen Brewster’s “The Art Of the Finish” and anything else he writes.
Thanks for the blog love man. Great post.
Thanks bro. Your posts are always super challenging. Keep ’em coming!
Alright… time to come out of the wood works and comment 🙂
This was a great post and confirmation to so many things I’ve been feeling.
This is gonna be a hustle summer for me and I can’t wait.
This was my favorite part of your post…
“hustle without pushing away those closest to you”
Great word brother. Great word.
Yes! Sammy has finally commented! I was waiting for this day 🙂 What about your summer is making it a “hustle” summer? Big plans in the works?
Kinda… well yea. Ha ha. Lots of writing. Also going on staff at new church. Leaving my church of 12 years. Crazy! Trusting God for some super big things.
Where’s the new church? That’s awesome.
David,
I always enjoy your posts. I think the “passion” part is key. If you’re not doing something that you can’t NOT do, then I think you’re just treading water and it will not sustain itself. There has to be a driving passion to do the thing you do.
Very well said, Jason. You are doing a great job with this on your blog.
Good job David. I am glad you followed through on this blog. I am in that crux right now with mine. Only six weeks in and I already am feeling the weight of it. My passion is still sustaining me, but soon I am going to have to focus on commitment, because my passion is a finicky little bugger. As soon as the fun wears off, my passion is looking to start something new and exciting again. I have to teach my passion the commitment to learning and hustle will make him more satisfied in the end. I think he is learning this time.
Nice. I think we make the most sustained impact when we stick with things “even when the fun wears off”. Build the habit, get disciplined, keep going. You’re doing great, Darrell.
Love it Dave! Thanks for sharing this incredible blog!
No problem, Matt. Thanks for sharing it!
I think this is one of your best posts David. Nice to hear a little about your journey.
I like what you said here…
It doesn’t all depend on us. God is working. God is moving. But as the cliche says, “work like it depends on you, pray like it depends on God.”
Great post, David! I’m constantly reminded that passion isn’t enough – I need to be a life-long learner. And I also love how Jon Acuff talks about hustling and need to work on that in my own life. Really really great post, bro. Thanks for this one!
Did you read that article on “the secret to being selfish?” I linked to it in my blog. Fantastic thoughts about hustle.
Yeah I agree! I fail hard at being selfish in that I do it at the wrong time way too often. And then if it is the right time, I sometimes fail to hustle like I should to make the best use of that time. Sigh, such is the process of being a life-long learner. But they say admitting it is the hardest part, right? 🙂
Great post! Reminds me passion just isn’t enough. Need to be constantly challenging myself, learning new things. Thanks!
So true, Don. Passion is absolutely necessary but you need to follow through on it. Thanks man!
God led me to your post…this was the specific complaint I articulated to a friend a couple evenings ago….that I had been hanging with people who for the most part were not good at making their goals / dreams / plans / callings come true….and that I needed help that walked the talk to journey with. This post gave me some hope!
You said it well. Dreams are easy, until you reach for them. Things come up and get in the way. Sometimes its people who don’t believe in your dreams. Other times its circumstance that doesn’t share your agenda. Whatever it is, passion pushes the limits and moves all obstacles. With God all things are possible. He could do it without us, instead he invites us to join Him. In the end the key to fulfilling any dream is to keep your eye on the prize, the author and finisher of our faith, JESUS. Good post. I knew it would be, even before I read it. Hallelujah God is good! Thanks for a place to cheer for Jesus, I love Him, He is EVERYTHING to me. 😀 Dream on…Amen!
Inspiring post. Yes, It is flipping hard work. Your blog is making a difference.
Thanks Rob. Glad to have you back!