Are you willing to pay the tax?

I’m not talking about your income tax or your business tax.

We’re talking about the success tax.

Look. Everyone wants success in their life. No one is sitting on the couch excited that they aren’t successful. They may claim that to their friends, but the truth is everyone wants success… yet very few are willing to pay the success tax.

I heard a story from a successful entrepreneur who said that envisions an auditor, like an accountant, who checks the boxes to see if you qualify for success. Each box is a tax that must be paid on your road to success.

One of the boxes is failure, and this is the one that most people don’t get checked because they’re too afraid. Their afraid of what others might think of them if they fail. They’re scared that the story they’ve been telling themselves about how amazing they are at XYZ isn’t true. They’re afraid to take action.

On your road to success, there are “taxes” you must pay. Even the “overnight success” paid the taxes – you just didn’t hear about them.

Some of the taxes on this road are:

1. Failure
2. Putting in the work
3. Hitting lows in your confidence and self-image
4. Failure (yup, it’s in here twice)
5. Self-doubt
6. Hatters (thanks for the emails by the way guys)
7. Failure (yup, this tax comes again and again)

Everyone wants to be successful, but like real taxes, no one really wants to pay. Let’s face it, it’s easier to complain.

If you’ve gotten this far, then you’re not someone who’s willing to settle for average, and I applaud you. Here are a few things you can do to help you make the payment of these success taxes a bit easier to swallow:

1. Keep a journal. In this journal, I encourage you to write down:
   1. At least 5 things you’re grateful for each day no matter how big or small
   2. 5 wins for the day (again, no matter what the size). When I’m paying a big hefty tax, I’ll sometimes write that journaling my wins is a win. It works.
   3. 5 things you love about yourself.
      There’s a lot more you can do with journaling, but this is a good start.

2. Birds of a Feather. Surround yourself with people committed to success. My 6th-grade teacher had a sign on the wall of her classroom that read: “Birds of a feather flock together, so chose your friends wisely.” It stuck, and it’s true. You sometimes have to let go of those that weigh you down and make an effort to surround yourself with those that lift you up. It’s worth it.
3. Take care of your health. When you’re getting hit with your success tax, it saps your energy. If you’re in peak physical health, you have reserves you can tap into to keep going. This is a lot harder when you’re out of shape. I’ve tried both and being in shape is a lot better! Besides, being in shape is something you can control. This is one reason that you’ll find a lot of peak performers come out of the fitness field – they received this lesson early on. Besides, let’s be honest here, when you look good, you feel good. So take care of your body – it’s the home for your soul.

When the tax person comes knocking on your door, thank them. It’s another check off your auditor’s list and a crumb on the road letting you know you’re on the path to success.