Page 4 - November 2024 Parker Co. 4-H Connection

A Word from Kayla

Success i s about bei ng

OBSESSED

With the Process, Not the Outcome

Have you ever been guilty of expecting success to just fall into your lap? Come on, be honest...

I think any one of us can think of a time that we dabbled in something for a week, maybe a month, even a year then wondered why we
weren't at the top. Here's the cold truth: you get out what you put in. There's no shortcut, no magic trick, no fast pass to success. If
you're not eating, sleeping, and breathing it, don't be surprised when you come up short. You also have to be realistic, there can only be
one winner, you may have done everything full send, and still come up 2nd.

Work ethic isn't just about putting in hours—it's about obsession. Real success doesn't come from working hard sometimes. You may get
lucky once or twice, but there will be no consistency to your success. Real success comes from being consumed by the process. You have
to want it so badly that the day-to-day grind isn't something you tolerate; it's something you crave. The process is where you live, day in
and day out. If you're not obsessed with the steps it takes to reach your goals, you're not going to last when things get tough.

Last year we had a senior judging team that had put in a total of four of five practices. On the way to the district contest, they were
talking about beating one of the most competitive teams in our district if not the state. The team they intended to overcome practiced
twice a week, year round and I'm willing to bet we're committing time each day individually to reasons or evaluating stock. For those who
have been around me long enough, I'm sure you can imagine my response. If I remember correctly, it went along the lines of "Are y'all
delusional".

I love a competitive spirit, but we often get caught up in the end result—the recognition or the placing, and don't consider the work it's
going to take to get there. The real success lies in the process. It's the daily grind where the magic happens. Every small, incremental
improvement, every challenge you push through, every hour you put in when no one's watching—that's where the difference is made. Our
judging team didn't stand a chance against that other team. We weren't even on their radar. This is not me knocking our team or being
mean, it's me giving a dose of reality. 5 practices and the "want" to do well is not going to get you to the top.

True work ethic means showing up on the days when you'd rather take it easy. It's mastering the art of delayed gratification, knowing
that the results might not show up today, next week, next month, or even next year. But they will show up if you're relentless.

The key is to fall in love with the work itself, not just the dream of success. The process isn't always glamorous. It's tough, repetitive, and
at times frustrating. But if you're obsessed, it doesn't matter. You push through because you know that every ounce of effort counts. It's
simple: you get out what you put in. So, the question is, are you ready to love the grind?