If you’ve ever battled procrastination or found yourself distracted, take a deep breath.
You’re not broken, you’re perfectly normal.
Your brain isn’t wired for success.
It’s wired for survival.
Its job is to keep you safe, comfortable, and alive…not to push you toward greatness.
And that means success requires the exact opposite of comfort.
It demands risk-taking, learning new things, and doing hard, uncomfortable work.
In essence, it requires you to rewire your brain.
Here’s how.
The Science Behind Success: Your Brain’s Hidden Trails
Inside your brain are neural pathways—literal grooves shaped by repetition.
Your mind naturally takes the easiest and most familiar path.
Like following a well-worn hiking trail, it feels safe and effortless to repeat what you’ve always done.
But when you decide to chase new goals, whatever they may be, you step off the familiar trail.
The new path is rough, blocked by mental “fallen trees” and overgrowth.
The first time you try hiking through it is hard.
Really hard.
But the second time gets a little easier.
And the third time easier still.
Eventually, this new trail becomes smooth and natural, while the old path (the one that held you back) gets overgrown and forgotten.
That’s how success becomes your new normal.
Beware of the Trap: Creative Avoidance and Priority Dilution
Ultra-performers have learned to spot two sneaky enemies:
- Creative Avoidance – You unconsciously stick to what’s familiar, wasting time on low-level tasks instead of boldly tackling what matters.
- Priority Dilution – As you become more successful, more people demand your attention. You stay busy but not productive. You end the day exhausted, yet your biggest priorities remain untouched.
If you want to break free from distraction, you must consciously choose your path or the world will choose it for you.
The Unpopular Secret to Extraordinary Success
So what’s the ultimate solution to overcoming creative avoidance and priority dilution and forming new neural pathways for success?
It boils down to one simple but unpopular word: discipline.
Discipline means doing the thing you know you should do even when you don’t feel like it.
Even when it’s uncomfortable and you’d rather quit.
I wrestle with this every day as an entrepreneur and a dad.
Balancing emails, clients, family…it gets messy.
But discipline is the difference-maker.
It’s the reason the world’s most successful people in every field share the same trait: they take the stairs, not the escalator.
The Lesson I Learned at Age Five That Still Guides Me Today
I owe a lot to my mom for this truth.
She signed me up for martial arts at age five.
At the time, I hated it.
But every time I complained, she’d simply say:
“Enjoying it isn’t a requirement of doing it.”
That lesson stayed with me.
As adults, we forget this truth and start chasing ease, shortcuts, and quick wins.
But that’s not how lasting success is built.
It’s forged through paying the price, building character, and doing what needs to be done whether you enjoy it or not.
Your Simple Daily Choice: Escalator or Stairs?
Success isn’t complicated.
It’s a simple, daily decision: take the escalator (easy, comfortable, average) or the stairs (hard, uncomfortable, extraordinary).
The choice is yours.
Want help becoming the person who naturally takes the stairs?
That’s why we started Brand Builders Group, to guide leaders like you to build influence, stand out, and create lasting impact.
If you’re ready to learn how to build a personal brand that moves people to action, schedule your Free Brand Call with us.
You’re built for greatness.
You just have to choose it.
