OK, so how many “re-posted Runner’s World quote of the day” blog postings can I possibly make? Here’s another. I find it hard to resist this quote, though. It’s instructional for just about anybody with aspirations, goals or dreams. It’s not just about running, or even limited to athletics.

“Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character.”
–T. Alan Armstrong, author

When we see a person succeed, it’s tempting to feel they’ve done something at the crucial, final moment of judgment that determined their success. In truth, if you’re winning an award for your book, or setting a record for your running event, that success it an accumulation. How many years of work and preparation went into building the foundation to make possible that later success? Remember, that person was working very hard without any reward or guarantee of success. If you’re struggling now, remember that the people you see succeeding now went through a period, just like you, of grinding away without approval, without awards, without any outward recognition.

Hard work wouldn’t really be hard if it came with a guarantee of immediate positive feedback, or certain near-term success.