“If you’re pursuing something crazy, you have to say ‘no’ to so many opportunities to go out, to meet people, to have fun, to earn money, to do frivolous things, but in the end it’s worth it because you will then be able to do all of that stuff and you will be living a life of total engagement.”
—Brian Koppleman
If your crazy idea, your dream, your vision, is worth anything, it is worth sacrificing for. Looked at another way, giving up immediate gratification, short term satisfaction, and shallow pursuits for that which drives you, gives you fulfillment, and adds deep meaning to your life is not a sacrifice at all. A sacrifice is the act of giving up something greater for something lesser.
If your big idea, your 10x, or your disruptive technology is to be what you hope it is, there is no sacrifice in turning down the invitation to the party, the dinner, the get rich quick scheme, or the vacation today to work on what you really want tomorrow. That is not a sacrifice, it is an investment. Invest your time, your energy, and your focus on what truly matters, even if it means that you feel like you are missing out.
Saying ‘yes’ to things that do not matter means saying ‘no’ to the things that do and vice versa. There is more regret in never doing something that matters than there is in missing out on the little things that don’t.
“As in life, so too it is in budo. As in budo, so too it is in life.”
-Robert Van Valkenburgh is co-founder of Taikyoku Mind & Body and Kogen Dojo where he teaches Taikyoku Budo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu