The 5 No-BS Keys to Success

You’ve probably heard a million versions of “5 Keys to Success” before. They usually involve vague motivational quotes, some guy in a rented Lambo yelling at you on YouTube, or an influencer who thinks waking up at 4 AM and drinking celery juice counts as a personality.

This is not that list.

Because here’s the thing: Success isn’t one-size-fits-all. If you try to follow someone else’s script, you’ll just end up miserable (or worse—on some “10X Hustle Grind” webinar).

So before you start sprinting toward a goal, make sure it’s your goal in the first place.

1. Define What Success Looks Like for YOU (Not Society, Not Your Mom, Not Instagram)

Most people never actually define what success means to them. Instead, they chase the default settings:

📌 Make more money.

📌 Get a fancy job title.

📌 Own an overpriced car they don’t even like driving.

Then, one day, they wake up in a house they can barely afford, working a job they hate, wondering why they feel dead inside.

Here’s the deal: Success is personal. Maybe it’s earning six figures. Maybe it’s having a farm with alpacas. Maybe it’s working three days a week and spending the rest of your time hiking.

Whatever it is, define it NOW. Otherwise, you’ll spend your life climbing a ladder, only to realize it was leaning against the wrong damn wall.

2. Get Comfortable With Eating a Sh*t Sandwich

Every version of success comes with its own brand of suffering.

🔥 Want to build a business? Get ready for financial stress and long-ass hours.

💪 Want a six-pack? That comes with sore muscles and skipping the fries.

💖 Want a great relationship? That requires emotional vulnerability and actual communication.

There is no version of success without some level of pain.

So the real question isn’t “What do I want?”It’s “What struggle am I willing to endure?”

If you’re not willing to eat the sh*t sandwich that comes with your goal, then it’s not really your goal.

3. Stop Waiting for Motivation—It’s Not Coming

Motivation is like that flaky friend who always says they’ll come to dinner but never shows up.

• You think you’ll feel inspired to write that book? Nope.

• You think you’ll wake up excited to go to the gym? LOL.

• You think you’ll suddenly feel like starting that side hustle? Dream on.

Successful people don’t rely on motivation. They rely on habits and discipline.You don’t wait to feel like doing the work. You do the work, and THEN the motivation follows.

It’s easier to stay in motion than to start from zero.

So just start. Even if it’s messy. Even if it sucks.

4. Stop Giving a F*ck About What People Think

Newsflash: Nobody actually cares about you that much. Most people are too busy worrying about themselves to spend much time judging you.

And yet, so many people let fear of judgment paralyze them.

👉 You don’t start the business because “What if I fail?”

👉 You don’t post the content because “What will people think?”

👉 You don’t switch careers because “What will my family say?”

Here’s the truth: People will judge you no matter what. Do something cool? Some people will love it, some will hate it. Do nothing? Some people will respect it, some will think you’re a loser.

So if you’re gonna get judged either way, you might as well do whatever the hell you want.

5. Play the Long Game (Because Quick Fixes Are for Suckers)

Everyone wants overnight success—which is hilarious because overnight success usually takes 10+ years.

But instead of putting in the work, people chase:

❌ Get-rich-quick schemes

❌ 30-day abs challenges

❌ “Manifestation” hacks (aka, writing in a journal and making vision boards instead of doing actual work)

Reality check: If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

Real success is about consistency over time.

📌 Show up.

📌 Do the work.

📌 Adjust when needed.

📌 Keep going.

Not sexy, but effective as hell.

Final Thought: Success Isn’t Magic—It’s Math

Here’s the formula:

(What you want) + (What you’re willing to struggle for) + (Consistent effort) = Success.

That’s it. No secrets, no hacks. Just real effort toward a goal you actually give a sh*t about.

Now go figure out what success looks like for you—and start moving toward it.

And if you need more no-BS wisdom, check out The Screw It Chronicles. 🚀

"Still figuring it out,

sharing what works."

XO Line