You wake up at six or seven, get ready, and head to work. After eight hours, you clock out, return home, have dinner, and go to bed. The next day, you repeat. And the day after that, and so on.
Work. Eat. Sleep. These days, consisting of just those three activities, make up 80% of my life. It’s what people nowadays often call “filler days.”
A friend of mine recently told me he felt like he hadn’t accomplished anything this year. Despite his best efforts, he felt stuck in the same place. He hadn’t gotten the promotion he’d hoped for, so his income and position remained the same as last year. His relationships hadn’t progressed, and after a year, it seemed like nothing in his life had changed. He felt trapped in a cycle of “filler days” while everyone else appeared to be living their best lives—traveling, partying, achieving things and having fun. Meanwhile, he was here, stuck in the grind of his “career.”
I shared a quote with him from John Maxwell:
“You never lose, you learn.”
The truth is, not everyone experiences “memorable days” all the time. Not every day is filled with excitement or change. What we see of others is just a glimpse – their moments of success. We rarely see the countless hours of effort that lead to those moments.
Kobe Bryant once said in an interview, “You think it’s about talent, but honestly, it’s about the work you put in. I’ve spent endless hours shooting the same shots, over and over again. It’s boring sometimes, but that’s how you get better.”
And when you listen to other great athletes talk about their success, they all share the same answer. Their achievements are built on thousands of hours of practice – days and days of repetition and effort. Those “boring” days of practice eventually lead to greatness.
That’s why, whenever the final whistle blows at the end of a championship game, the winners often burst into overwhelming emotions, or those receiving awards break into tears during their speeches. It’s the moment they realize all those “filler days” have finally paid off. That one glamorous moment of recognition is the result of countless hard-working days.
So, even when it feels like you’re losing or not getting anywhere, know that you’re still progressing. As long as you keep putting in the work consistently, you’re moving toward your goals, even if the progress isn’t immediately obvious.
Be patient. Trust the process.
Because hard work is the only recipe for success.