The greatest threat to success is not failure, but boredom. – James Clear
I finished the book Atomic Habits while on vacation this summer with the family. The book was well written and I enjoyed it. The statement above hit me. Mr. Clear speaks of those famous athletes, entertainers and musicians that we all have come to love and respect. He makes the point that their greatness isn’t just in their favorable genetics or socioeconomic background or luck. Rather, their greatness comes in showing up…time and again and again and again…
It’s easy to put enough reps in to get good at something. It’s tough to keep trudging through those reps when sheer boredom takes over. Getting out of bed at 4am for a workout may have been fun on your way up the ladder of success, but continuing to get out of bed then to maintain that success is where the challenge lies.
As a amateur triathlete, I can relate to the boredom. Miles upon miles of swimming, biking and running. Years of wear and tear on the body. At some point, all your training routes become the same. You check the wind in the morning and pick the route that suits you best. You see the same sights, you avoid the same potholes, you wave at the same cars on their way to work. Yet, it is the persistence through this boredom that allows success to thrive. It is getting the reps in, over and over, for the love of the game…for the finish line…to close the deal…to get the “A”…to save for your goal…
Failure is another word for learning opportunity. But boredom, that is the true threat to success.
