So you want to be a black belt.  Or a lawyer.  Or in the best shape of your life.  Whatever your training goals, it is highly likely that someone with similar, if not nearly identical, situation has already accomplished what you are seeking.

If you are a 30-something white-collar cubicle dweller who wants to train for his first cage fight, someone else has already done it.  If you feel stuck in your day job and want to start your own business, someone has already done it.  If you’re a single mother with two kids who wants to become a black belt, someone has already done it.

The “been there done that” thing is good, not bad.  It means someone else has blazed the trail.  Someone else knows the formula.  They hold the recipe to the secret sauce.  One of the basic tenets of being successful is to find someone who has already accomplished what you want to do and model what they did.  Simple.  But simple does not mean easy.

What the trail blazer really holds is the truth.  And as I’m fond of saying, the truth hurts.  The truth is that they worked.  The truth is that they sacrificed.  The truth is that they didn’t drink a twelve pack of beer every weekend.

So find that trail blazer, mentor, coach, or guardian angel and take a good hard look at what they did.  And then look at yourself in the mirror and be painfully honest about whether or not you have the commitment to do what it really takes to get what you want.

What’s your answer?

Burn the boats. Take a stand.  And do not dishonor the trail blazer by being wishy-washy about it.  A true trail blazer accomplished their goal through trial, error, and tenacity.  You will have an easier path because of them.  Pay homage accordingly by giving it your all and not half-stepping.

And then help those who come after you.  The best way to learn, is to teach.