Make Every Day a Work Day: Every Day a Study Day
Success is not an event
Success is a step by step process.
We see the champion standing on the podium receiving his or her accolade and shiny gold medal, and we say to ourselves, "I want to be that guy: I want to savour the sweet taste of success".
But what we don't always see, and many people don't realise, is that behind that Gold Medal Moment, there stands many weeks, months and even years of diligent, repetitive and difficult work.
We see the finished product, in the form of the championship performance, and we fall in love with that image. We want it. We all want success.
But before you can have success, you have to be willing to pay the price, in advance.
If you want success you have to pay for it in advance. You don't pay for it with cash. You pay for success by investing your time and effort into perfecting your craft.
- If you are a bodybuilder, you do the reps.
- If you are a salesperson, you make the calls.
- If you are a business person, you put in the effort.
- If you are a student, you do the revision.
- If you are a parent, you take the time.
If you are intending to be successful, then you need to recognise the fact that success is NOT an event that happens on the day of the competition.
Competitions are won and lost in the weeks and months leading up to the day of the event.
The competition or examination, or interview, is merely the realisation of the work put in, or not. Stack the odds in your favour.
Here is a good line from my friend Phil Campbell;
'Every day is a work day: Every day is a study day.'
Make sure that every day you are doing something to add to your chances of winning in the future.
Then Sweet Success will surely come your way.
Do You Have the Winner's Edge?
Try our Do You Have the Winner's Edge questionnaire to discover to what degree you have the winner's edge.
Definition: Daily success habit
In personal effectiveness, a daily success habit is a habit that you repeat every day, links straight to a clear long-term goal, calls for planned effort and time, and is built from simple actions you can count.
Show CG4D Definition
- Repeated every calendar day
- Directly supports a defined long-term success goal
- Requires planned time and effort, not money
- Made of specific, countable actions
Article Summary
Success is not one big day; it is the sum of small acts done every day. When you lift, call, read or revise, you pay the price in advance and stack the odds in your favour. Work and study daily and the gold-medal moment will meet you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions that frequently get asked about this topic during our training sessions.
Why does the article say success is not an event?
What does “pay the price in advance” mean?
How can I turn every day into a work day?
Which daily actions help students prepare for exams?
How does preparation weeks ahead affect competition results?
Why is consistent effort more important than talent?
What is a winner mindset according to the article?
Thought of something that's not been answered?
Did You Know: Key Statistics
LinkedIn Learning’s 2024 Workplace Learning Report found that 84% of high performers block out at least 30 minutes every day for study or practice. Deloitte’s 2025 Global Human Capital Trends survey shows organisations that promote daily learning habits are 52% more likely to exceed their performance targets.Blogs by Email
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Further Reading in Personal Effectiveness
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What does it take to Develop Personal Effectiveness?
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The Art of Clear Thinking
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Having the Last Word
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How to Develop More Motivation
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