// BROADENING YOUR TIME PREFERENCE.
Let’s get one thing straight: no one ever woke up one day, blinked twice, and suddenly became successful. Behind every victory story, every so-called “overnight success,” there’s a mountain of sacrifice, one that most people never see. You wouldn’t expect to win a marathon without taking a step. Success is impossible without a little grind. Let’s talk about what it means to become successful, and how to give up the present for the future.
I’ve recently taken on an apprentice to help guide, and watching someone at the very beginning of their journey has reminded me of the harsh reality of this path. It’s not glamorous. There are no shortcuts, and honestly, that’s the beauty of it. You don’t get to skip the hard part.
When I started my own apprenticeship, I had nothing. My net worth was a shocking -$40K. That’s right, negative. If you’ve ever stared down the barrel of your bank account and realized you’d need a miracle just to hit zero, you know exactly what I’m talking about. I wasn’t just broke, I was lost. I hadn’t even found the faintest whisper of who I was.
Yet, here I am today. Why? Because I made a decision to broaden my time horizon, to give up what I wanted in the present for what I knew I could build in the future.
Let’s be honest for a second. Most people who “make it” in life do so through relationships they had zero part in creating. You know what I’m talking about, the people whose uncle knows a guy, the one whose father maybe handed them an opportunity on a silver platter… and while there’s no shame in taking advantage of an opportunity, it’s a little infuriating when you’re out here grinding with nothing but your own blood, sweat, and tears, trying to rewrite the history of your family tree.
For those of us who don’t have a golden handshake waiting in the wings, success means waking up every single day with the tenacity to change our story. It means understanding that you can’t expect to reap the rewards today for seeds you plant tomorrow. You have to think longer—broaden your time preference to forever. Success isn’t about sprinting to the finish line; it’s about playing the longest game imaginable, and showing up to the finish line with your bags packed and your heart full.
Have you truly given your best effort in your allotted time? Every single day?
Here’s the deal: you’re not going to get anywhere worth going by indulging every immediate desire. When I started my career, I wanted a lot of things. A full stomach, a break, maybe even a tiny slice of comfort. But I didn’t get those things because I was too busy putting in the work, learning the craft, and wondering when my time might come.
The thing about time is that it rewards those who respect it. The work you put in today isn’t wasted. It’s like laying bricks. You don’t build a house in a day. Every brick you place is one step closer to something solid, something lasting. That’s the trade-off: you give up a little now for a whole lot later, and when you finally stand in the house you built, you’ll realize that every sacrifice you made was worth it.
skull and headdress by @teddynigels
// THE LESSON.
Watching my apprentice now, I see myself in her—hungry, eager, maybe a little naïve; but I also see potential, the kind of potential that only gets realized if you’re willing to give up the present for the long-term payoff. You’ve got to embrace the grind, trust the process, and know that your future self will thank you for every hour, every dollar, and every bit of comfort you sacrificed along the way.
In the end, the only thing that separates those who succeed from those who don’t is the willingness to play the long game. The willingness to keep placing those bricks, even when the house seems a million miles away.
To my apprentice, and to anyone else on the grind: broaden your time preference to forever and make peace with the sacrifice. Your future is waiting, but only if you’re ready to put in the work today. Trust me when I say that nothing worth having ever comes without a price, and the present moment is your down payment.